The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) has published a new safety framework for oil and gas extraction and production.
The framework, which will be independent of the Department of Energy’s petroleum affairs division, will be developed over the next two years, according to details published by the CER today.
The report - entitled Status Analysis Review of the Existing Legislative and Regulatory System for Petroleum Exploration and Extraction in Ireland - analyses the current regime and identifies overlaps and potential gaps.
The CER’s new remit embraces public safety, and will apply to the Kinsale field, the Corrib gas project and other upstream oil and gas activities and associated infrastructure, including the Shannon liquefied natural gas project.
Up till now, the CER’s safety functions were confined to downstream safety, mainly monitoring of gas installations and electrical contractors.
The transfer of functions was promised four years ago, but enabling legislation was first published last year by former energy minister Eamon Ryan and has not yet been fully implemented.
The full provisions of the underpinning legislation, the Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Act 2010, will not be entirely “commenced” until the framework is complete.
Former energy minister Noel Dempsey announced in early May 2006 that monitoring of the Corrib gas onshore pipeline’s safety would be given to the CER.
The measures was one of a series outlined by the Minister when he published the Advantica consultancy study on the safety of the Corrib gas onshore pipeline.
