The NSTA is making more and more data freely available to industry, academia and others. This data is invaluable in all of the operations on the UKCS from exploration to decommissioning and in assisting the drive to net zero for example through identifying potential locations for carbon storage sites.
In 2016 and 2017 the NSTA commenced new data regulations under the Energy Act 2016. These were:
- The power to request information and samples under section 34 of the Energy Act
- The requirement to appoint an Information and Samples Coordinator (ISC)
- The requirement to submit Information and Samples Plans (ISPs) in connection with certain licence events.
Additionally, in 2017, it consulted on new regulations for the retention and disclosure of Information and Samples. These regulations were laid before Parliament and commenced in 2018.
In February 2019 the NSTA launched the National Data Repository (NDR) and on the 1st March 2019 issued its first reporting notices under section 34 of the Energy Act, requesting the statutory reporting of technical information including well, geophysical, production, infrastructure and pipeline data to the NSTA and well samples to the British Geological Survey (BGS).
Further reading on information and samples
Regulations on retention of information and samples
Regulations on the disclosure of information and samples
2017 consultation on proposed retention and disclosure regulations
Guidance on the retention of Information and Samples
Guidance on Reporting and disclosure of Information and Samples
Section 34 Notices
As mentioned above, on 1st March 2019, the NSTA issued two reporting notices under section 34 (s.34 notices). One was a retrospective notice covering the routine reporting of information and samples from 2018, the other was a notice to cover the routine reporting of information and samples related to ongoing activity in 2019. As they were routine reporting notices they were sent to the ISCs of all “relevant persons” (as defined under the Energy Act 2016). Routine reporting notices are issued every January to cover the coming year.
The notices are available below:
Offshore technical information is made available either through the National Data Repository (NDR) or the NSTA’s Open Data pages. Samples are made available for inspection by the British Geological Survey (BGS).
If you have any questions about data access or issues relating to Information and Samples in general please contact NSTA technical services on ISC@nstauthority.co.uk
- The NSTA now discloses offshore well information directly from the National Data Repository
- Onshore well data is available from the British Geological Survey
Offshore proprietary seismic data is now made available through the NDR.
Lynx Information Systems have released a selection of offshore surveys.
Onshore seismic data
The UK Onshore Geophysical Library, managed by Lynx Information Systems, releases onshore seismic data. Email contact@ukogl.org.uk or ring +44 (0) 208 780 2634 for further details
