New Zealand standards for offshore installations

A number of different regulatory, policy and voluntary requirements apply to New Zealand’s offshore petroleum industry. These are summarised below.
The overall aim of operators in managing the environmental impact of their offshore petroleum activities should be three-fold:

1. to meet the requirements imposed by the regulatory system(s) under which they operate
2. to achieve control of all known environmental risks through the application of due diligence
3. to continuously improve their environmental performance.

Requirements of offshore installations

The requirements that apply to New Zealand’s offshore petroleum industry are summarised in the New Zealand standards activity matrix.

New Zealand standards activity matrix [PDF: 82Kb, 2 pages]

As part of its commitment to the protection of the marine environment, Maritime New Zealand has established comprehensive rules dealing with discharges from offshore installations. These rules are listed below.

Marine Protection Rule – Part 200

Marine Protection Rule - Part 200 provides rules for offshore installations, to prevent pollution of the marine environment by substances used or produced in offshore mineral exploration and exploitation. Part 200 is concerned with discharges of oil, other harmful substances and garbage.

Part 200 gives effect to the provisions of:

• MARPOL 1973/78 - the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
• OPRC 1990 - the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation.

Part 200 includes the requirement for a discharge management plan – a form of environmental management plan. A discharge management plan establishes the procedures and practices necessary to reduce the environmental impacts from discharges of harmful substances, including oil and chemicals, from offshore activities. Part 200 also establishes discharge quality standards in accordance with international generally accepted practice for the oil content of production water, displacement water and offshore processing drainage.

Part 200 - Discharge Management Plans

All offshore installations operating in New Zealand waters are affected by Part 200. Different standards apply however, depending on if the offshore installation is situated within or beyond the 12 nautical mile limit.

Discharges within the 12 nautical mile limit
Marine pollution regulations developed under the Resource Management Act cover discharges within the coastal marine area (12 nautical mile limit). Regional Councils are responsible for administration and enforcement of these regulations.

Certain rules of Part 200 also apply, namely those relating to the international standards for the prevention of oil pollution and contingency planning and response to marine oil spills.

Resource Management (Marine Pollution) Regulations 1998 [New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office]

Discharges beyond the 12 nautical mile limit
Part 200 covers all discharges to water from offshore installations beyond the 12 nautical mile limit. The rule deals with pollution preparedness and response and also with the equipment and operational requirements of pollution prevention. Maritime New Zealand is responsible for the administration and enforcement of these.

Marine Protection Rule Part 200