Requirements overseen by Maritime NZ for offshore oil and gas installations
Managing environmental effects from offshore installations
Owners of offshore installations must manage the environmental risks of their offshore oil and gas activities, including:
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meeting requirements imposed by the regulatory systems they operate under
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controlling all known environmental risks by applying due diligence
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continuously working to improve their environmental performance.
Information on this page relates to requirements overseen by Maritime NZ.
For information about other agencies and their responsibilities please see:
Marine Protection Rules Part 131 and Part 102: Offshore Installations
All regulated offshore installations operating in New Zealand Continental and Territorial Waters must meet the requirements of Marine Protection Rules Part 131 and 102.
Hold an approved Offshore Installation Oil Spill Contingency Plan
Part 131 sets out what owners of offshore installations must do to reduce the risk of environmental pollution from a spill of oil from their installation. This includes producing an Offshore Installation Oil Spill Contingency Plan (OIOSCP).
Part 131 sets the requirements for what must be included in an OIOSCP, including risk assessment and reduction, and emergency response planning, to support an efficient and effective response to an incident involving a marine oil spill (or potential spill).
Hold the relevant certification
Offshore installation certification requirements are also included in Part 131. These include giving effect to the applicable provisions of:
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the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation 1990 (OPRC 1990)
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the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973/78 (MARPOL).
Meet reporting and operational requirements
Part 131 sets several reporting and operational requirements, including:
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how spills and events must be reported
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how garbage and oil record books must be kept and maintained.
Meet relevant insurance requirements
There are specific requirements for installations to have insurance to cover their liabilities under the Maritime Transport Act 1994. These can be found in Part 102 of the Marine Protection Rules
Position statement: Requirements for offshore installation owners’ to have funds available to respond to an oil spill
Position statements explain how Maritime NZ will apply key aspects of legislation and rules in accordance with our regulatory approach.
Consenting of environmental effects
Discharges within the 12 nautical mile limit
Marine pollution regulations and regional coastal plans developed under the Resource Management Act 1991 cover discharges within the coastal marine area, out to the 12 nautical mile limit. Regional councils are responsible for administering and enforcing these regulations.
Certain rules in Part 131 also apply, particularly those that relate to international standards for recording discharges and to oil spill contingency planning and response to marine oil spills.
Discharges beyond the 12 nautical mile limit
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is responsible for consenting the environmental effects of offshore mineral exploration and exploitation under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 and associated regulations. These responsibilities include managing the effects of:
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placing items on the seafloor
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discharging chemicals and oil
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dumping waste at sea.
Certain rules in Part 131 also apply, particularly those that relate to oil spill contingency planning and response to marine oil spills.
Safety zones and precautionary areas
To reduce the risk of a maritime incident and resulting marine pollution, some safety zones and a precautionary area have been established around New Zealand.
