Approvals and permits for fixed offshore oil and gas installations

If you wish to make significant changes to the physical or operating conditions of an installation, connected infrastructure or a pipeline, or to the operational condition of the installation or the pipeline, and the changes are significant for the risk of major accidents, the Danish Working Environment Authority's permission must be obtained pursuant to section 29 of the Offshore Safety Act before the changes are put into effect. An application for a permit for a significant change must be submitted to the Danish Working Environment Authority no later than 2 months before the change is put into effect.

Prior to decommissioning a fixed installation, possibly with connected infrastructure, a fixed non-production installation, possibly with connected infrastructure, or a pipeline, permission must be obtained from the Danish Working Environment Authority pursuant to section 31 of the Offshore Safety Act. The operator and the owner must inform the Danish Working Environment Authority of the planned decommission no later than 12 months before the start of the activity. The Danish Working Environment Authority will then set a deadline for the submission of the application for decommissioning. 

Health and Safety Case

A Health and Safety Case (HSC) must be prepared for any offshore installations, possibly with connected infrastructure, and pipelines. The HSC must document how safety and health risks and the risk of major environmental incidents have been assessed and reduced as much as is reasonably practicable in connection with the design, construction and operation of the installation. The responsibility for this lies with the operator or owner.

As a minimum, a HSC should include:

• A detailed description of the installation and the operational conditions.
• A detailed description of the safety and health management system, including information on how the plant's safety critical elements are checked and verified.
• An identification of the potential risks of major accidents and harmful influences in the working environment.
• An assessment of risks and documentation that these risks have been reduced as much as is reasonably practicable.
• Documentation that evacuation to a safe place can take place in an efficient and controlled manner in critical situations.

The HSC must be updated regularly, and typically when there is a significant change in the safety and health conditions at the facility.

Notification of planned design of production facilities etc.

Before a production installation, a fixed non-production installation or a pipeline is designed, built and installed, the overall design must be submitted to the Danish Working Environment Authority pursuant to section 27 of the Offshore Safety Act. The Danish Working Environment Authority will then have the opportunity to comment on the design, and these comments will then be incorporated into the completed design and the forthcoming safety and health report of the installation with connected infrastructure or pipeline.

Furthermore, any major restructuring of existing installations with connected infrastructure and new pipelines must be notified pursuant to section 27 of the Offshore Safety Act. Notifications must be submitted to the Danish Working Environment Authority as early as possible during the design phase, so that any remarks by the Danish Working Environment Authority  on safety and health conditions and the prevention of major environmental incidents may be included in the completion of the design and in the subsequent Health and Safety Case.

Prior to commencing a combined operation, i.e. an activity carried out from one installation together with one or more other facilities, a permit must be obtained from the Danish Working Environment Authority pursuant to section 29 of the Offshore Safety Act.

An application for a permit for combined operation must be submitted to the Danish Working Environment Authority no later than 2 months before the planned start of a combined operation.