Regulations relating to materials and documentation in connection with surveys for and utilisation of subsea reservoirs on the continental shelf to store CO₂

(Regulations relating to documentation in connection with storage of CO2 on the shelf)

Legal basis: Laid down by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate on 13 December 2017 pursuant to Section 1 of Act No. 12 of 21 June 1963 relating to scientific research and exploration for and exploitation of subsea natural resources other than petroleum resources, cf. Sections 1-11, 2-6 and 11-23 of Regulation No. 1517 of 5 December 2014 relating to exploitation of subsea reservoirs on the continental shelf for storage and transport of CO₂ on the continental shelf, Section 10-18 of Act No. 72 of 29 November 1996 relating to petroleum activities, cf. Sections 46, 53 and 86 of Regulation No. 653 of 27 June 1997 relating to the Act relating to petroleum activities.

EEA references: EEA Agreement Annex XX Chapter III No. 21at (Directive 2009/31/EC)

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1. Introductory provisions
• Chapter 2. Surveys
• Chapter 3. Drilling and well activity, etc.
• Chapter 4. Submitting materials and documentation
• Chapter 5. General provisions
• Notes on the Regulations relating to materials and documentation in connection with surveys for and utilisation of subsea reservoirs on the continental shelf to store CO₂
• Re Chapter 1. Introductory provisions
• Re Chapter 2. Surveys
• Re Chapter 3. Drilling and well activity, etc.
• Re Chapter 4. Submitting materials and documentation

Regulations relating to materials and documentation in connection with surveys for and utilisation of subsea reservoirs on the continental shelf to store CO₂

Chapter 1
Introductory provisions

Section 1
Objective

These Regulations shall provide supplementary provisions concerning data acquisition and documentation in connection with surveys and exploration for subsea reservoirs for storage of CO2, and in connection with exploitation of subsea reservoirs on the continental shelf for storage of CO2. These Regulations shall also safeguard the consideration for third parties in connection with geophysical surveys.

Section 2
Scope

These Regulations shall apply for data acquisition and documentation in connection with surveys and exploration for subsea reservoirs for storage of CO2, and in connection with exploitation of subsea reservoirs on the continental shelf for storage of CO2 in areas covered by:

1. Regulations 5 December 2014 no 1517 relating to exploitation of subsea reservoirs on the continental shelf for storage of CO₂ and relating to transportation of CO₂ on the continental shelf (Regulations relating to storage and transport of CO2 on the shelf) section 1-3 and,
2. Regulations 27 June 2014 no 653 to Act relating to petroleum activities (The Petroleum Regulations) Chapter 4a.

Section 3
Definitions

These Regulations use the following definitions:

1. Appraisal well: well drilled to determine the extent and size of a subsea reservoir that has already been proven by a wildcat well
2. Cuttings: rock fragments from the drilling process
3. Drilling programme: description containing well/wellbore-specific information concerning planned drilling and well activity
4. Well: hole that is drilled to prove or delineate a subsea reservoir or to inject CO₂ for storage purposes, or to explore reservoir conditions, monitor well parameters, explore rock properties or conduct geotechnical surveys for placement of facilities. A well can consist of one or more wellbores and can have one or more termination points.
5. Well activity: facilitation and implementation of operations in connection with completion, data acquisition, monitoring, control, overhauling, modification and plugback of existing wells
6. Wellbore: describes the well's location from one termination point to the wellhead,
7. Well target: the geological unit(s) the well will be drilled into (geological well target) and the wellbore's termination point; includes geographical coordinates and depth in metres (drilling operational well target)
8. Boat km: a seismic vessel's sailing distance
9. Formation test: test of an individual well's injection properties for no more than 10 flow days
10. Formation test logging: repeated pressure/test readings in a well (RFT)
11. Injection well: well used to inject CO₂
12. Exploration well: well drilled to prove a subsea reservoir or acquire information to delineate a proven reservoir. Exploration well is a collective term for wildcat and appraisal wells
13. Observation well: well used to observe injected CO₂

Prospect: a potential subsea reservoir

Caprock: A rock overlying a reservoir and that is so little permeable that it in natural settings prevents vertical migration of petroleum or CO₂ from the reservoir

Wildcat well: exploration well drilled to prove the existence of a subsea reservoir that may be used to store CO₂.

Definitions in Act No. 72 of 29 November 1996 relating to petroleum activities (the Petroleum Act), the Petroleum Regulations and Regulations relating to storage and transport of CO₂ on the shelf apply for these Regulations.

Section 4
Format and units of measurement

Format requirements for materials and documentation may be stipulated by the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.

Unless otherwise designated, geography shall be stated as geographical coordinates/coordinate pairs in the European Datum 1950 (EPSG:4230) DDMMSS format. For geography transformed to European Datum 1950 (EPSG:4230), information about original datum and the transforming parameters should be given.

Materials and documentation submitted, or otherwise made available to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, shall have unique identification and necessary technical information about quality and properties.

Documentation to the authorities shall preferably use metric units according to the SI system.

Section 5
Responsibilities pursuant to these Regulations

Licensees and others who participate in activities subject to these Regulations are obliged to comply with the Regulations and administrative decisions made pursuant to the Regulations through implementation of necessary systematic measures.

Licensees are responsible for ensuring that everyone contracted to perform work, either personally, through employees or through contractors or subcontractors, complies with requirements stipulated in or pursuant to the safety and working environment legislation.

Chapter 2
Surveys

Section 6
Notification in connection with surveys

Licensees shall report surveys pursuant to the survey-, exploration-, and exploitation licence to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, the Directorate of Fisheries, the Institute of Marine Research and the Norwegian Armed Forces to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate's reporting system for surveys. This also applies for route and other subsurface surveys.

The following information shall be reported no later than five weeks before the survey activity starts:

1. name of the survey
2. which survey, exploration or exploitation licence(s) the survey is conducted pursuant to
3. name of licensee
4. which survey activities will be carried out
5. planned start-up and completion dates
6. the survey area, including the area for necessary calibration and testing of equipment in connection with the survey activity, as well as the area required to turn the vessel
7. assessment as to whether the survey activity may damage particularly vulnerable environmental resources.

At the earliest, the survey activity can start five weeks after notice has been sent pursuant to second paragraph litera e. When the survey starts, licensees shall report the start-up.

If the survey activity starts up later than the time reported pursuant to second paragraph litera e, the licensee shall, as soon as possible, report the changed start-up time.

If the survey activity is going to start up earlier than the time reported in accordance with second paragraph litera e, a new start-up time must be reported a minimum of five working days prior to new planned start-up date.

If the survey activity is cancelled or temporarily suspended, the licensee shall report this, without delay.

If there is a desire to conduct the survey activity beyond the reported completion time, the licensee must submit a new report concerning the survey as designated in second paragraph. In such instances, the deadline for submitting a new report will be five business days prior to the originally reported completion time. The same applies correspondingly if there is a desire to change the reported survey area pursuant to second paragraph litera f.

The following information is to be reported as soon as possible, but at the latest prior to start-up-time:

1. name of the party conducting the survey
2. the survey’s planned scope, boat km and square km
3. number and type of signal sources and total volume to the extent this is relevant
4. description of how the geophysical sensors will be placed during the data acquisition, as well as the length of the tow
5. the vessels' call signs, IMO numbers (International Maritime Organization's identification system for vessels) and nationality
6. potential port calls in Norwegian inland waters
7. name of and contact information for fisheries expert
8. the licensees’ assessment of whether the results etc. from the survey are to be marketable

The following information shall be reported weekly while the survey activity is under way:

1. name of the survey
2. which survey, exploration or exploitation licence(s) the survey is conducted pursuant to
3. name of licensee
4. status of the survey activity, including number of kilometres of seismic data acquired, both in total and over the last week, both boat km and square kilometres.
5. information about planned activity during the upcoming week, including information about the acquisition area
6. the vessels' call signs, IMO numbers (International Maritime Organization's identification system for vessels) and nationality
7. potential port calls in Norwegian inland waters
8. name of fisheries expert

The licensee shall submit a final report as soon as the survey is complete.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate can grant exceptions from the deadlines designated above.

Section 7
Designation and classification of surveys

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate shall stipulate the designation and classification of surveys, including route and other subsurface surveys.

Section 8
Requirements for conducting seismic surveys

When seismic surveys are started, the audio source must be started up gradually to give fish and marine mammals the opportunity to leave the area around the survey. The demand for gradually start-up may only be deviated from when smaller source volume and limited surveys with only one audio source is used, and no regulation of volume is technically possible.

Vessels conducting seismic surveys shall maintain a prudent distance to vessels engaged in fishery activities, as well as fixed and floating fishing gear. Particular caution shall be exercised when large groups of fishing vessels are observed. 

Section 8a
Escort vessel for geophysical surveys

Escort vessel assisting a vessel conducting geophysical surveys shall maintain a passive role in relation to other users of the sea.

Section 9
Requirement to have a fisheries expert on board vessels conducting geophysical surveys

Vessels that conduct geophysical surveys must have a fisheries expert on board when this is necessary out of consideration for fishery activities in the area. In the event of doubt, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, in consultation with the Directorate of Fisheries, will make the final decision.

The fisheries expert should be present at the start-up meeting for the survey in order to provide information about anticipated fishery activity in the area of the seismic survey.

The fisheries expert shall play an advisory role for the survey within their specific discipline and shall be guaranteed a free and independent position. The role of fisheries expert shall be carried out objectively and impartially in the relationship between the principal and fisheries interests.

The licensee and the party responsible for operation of the vessel shall make relevant regulations, documents and data available to the fisheries expert. Regulations and documents shall be available in both Norwegian and English. Access to the Internet and other necessary aids for the fisheries expert must be facilitated.

Section 10
Position reporting in connection with geophysical surveys

Vessels conducting geophysical surveys shall have on board and use equipment that monitors and reports the vessel's position and movements during the survey activity. The requirement for monitoring and registration starts when the audio sources are activated and lasts for the duration of the survey. Reporting is to be made to the Directorate of Fisheries' 24/7 monitoring centre (FMC), which is designated by the Norwegian Offshore Directorate as system operator, in order to activate the receipt of signals.

Position reporting equipment pursuant to first paragraph shall at any time be operational and satisfy the requirements in Regulation No. 454 of 24 March 2010 relating to requirements for equipment and installation of position reporting equipment. Section 3 in this regulation concerning requirements for the service provider that forwards tracking information applies correspondingly.

Position reporting shall contain the following information:

1. clear identification of the vessel,
2. the vessel's geographical position at the time of reporting with a position error of less than 500 metres with a confidence interval of 99%,
3. date and time for the vessel's position,
4. speed and course at the time of reporting,
5. identification of the type of report submitted.

Section 11
Requirements for fisheries experts on board vessels conducting geophysical surveys

Those serving as fisheries expert must have completed and passed a test for an approved course. The Norwegian Offshore Directorate shall stipulate the professional content, time and location of such courses and shall issue a course certificate. A fee may be required for participation in the course.

Those participating in the course must be proficient in Norwegian and English and document that they, over the course of the last five years, have been active fishermen or had equivalent relevant experience for at least twelve consecutive months. They must also document knowledge about fishery activities in the waters where the vessel conducting geophysical survey will be operating, differentiated as south of 62 degrees north and north of 62 degrees north. The persons in question must, as a minimum, hold a navigation certificate as a class B or D 5 fishing boat skipper without restrictions. In addition, a one year of experience as skipper/first officer is also required.

The fisheries expert must, every five years after passing the course, document that, over the last five years, he has been an active fisher or fisheries expert for at least twelve consecutive months. The active period is calculated according to regulations of 22. December 2011 no. 1523 regarding qualification and certificates for sailors section 16.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has an overview of people who have passed the course and issues verifications of the right to practice as fisheries expert. This verification is valid for five years and must then be renewed. The Norwegian Offshore Directorate can decide that those who do not fulfil the activity obligation as active fisherman or fisheries expert or otherwise do not fulfil their obligations as fisheries expert, may lose their right to practice as fisheries expert.

The fisheries expert shall keep a separate log for each survey according to a set template for the period he/she is on board the vessel. Once the survey is complete, the log shall be stored by the licensee for two years. Within two weeks of survey completion the log shall be submitted to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, the Directorate of Fisheries and the Directorate of Fisheries' regional office in the relevant district.

The fisheries expert is obliged to familiarise himself/herself with the content of the survey, exploration or exploitation licence(s) and notice of the survey pursuant to Section 6 of these Regulations. The manual of information for the fisheries expert shall be stipulated by the Norwegian Offshore Directorate and shall be available during each assignment.

Section 12
Route surveys and other subsurface surveys

Route surveys and other subsurface surveys pursuant to Section 1-11 of the Regulations relating to storage and transport of CO2 on the shelf and Section 30 of the Petroleum Regulations, shall be reported through the Norwegian Offshore Directorate's reporting system for surveys according to section 6.

The duty to report does not apply to route surveys and other subsurface surveys conducted without seismic, and with small or no impact on vulnerable areas, fish and maritime animals or commercial activities.

Before route surveys are started, the licensee shall submit maps to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate with the planned route and any prospective areas. The scale and geographical coordinates shall be stated.

Chapter 3
Drilling and well activity, etc.

Section 13
Registration of wells, permit for exploration drilling and drilling programme

Section 14

(Repealed)

Section 15

(Repealed)

Section 16
Technical geological and reservoir data acquisition in connection with drilling and well activity

The licensee shall ensure that necessary drill cuttings samples, conventional cores, sidewall cores, liquid and gas samples, logs and test data are collected. Norwegian Offshore Directorate may stipulate requirements for data acquisition, processing and analyses in individual instances.

Unless otherwise specified, the standard requirement from the Norwegian Offshore Directorate is as follows:

1. In exploration wells, drill cuttings samples shall be taken from types of rock from all geological formations drilled. The sampling shall start immediately once return of drilling fluid has been established
2. In a representative selection of injection wells and observation wells, drill cuttings samples shall be taken from all types of rock from all geological formations in the reservoir interval
3. The distance between drill cuttings samples should not exceed 10 metres
4. The distance between drill cuttings samples in reservoirs that potentially may be relevant for storage or migration of CO2 in exploration wells, should not exceed three metres if conventional cores are not taken
5. In exploration wells, at least one conventional core shall be taken in all reservoir intervals where storage of CO2 may be relevant. Furthermore, necessary cores of potential caprocks and reservoirformations should be taken
6. In selected appraisal wells and injection wells, conventional cores shall be taken from the entire reservoir interval
7. Sidewall cores shall be taken to the extent that this is necessary
8. In connection with formation strength testing and formation test logging, fluid samples shall be taken
9. Necessary well logs shall be taken in all wells/wellbores
10. In selected wells/wellbores the strength of relevant caprocks shall be tested .
11. In exploration wells, formation test logs should be taken which establish the pressure gradient and types of fluids in a formation, as well as the formation's ability to store CO2

Section 17
Information about formation test

The licensee shall send information about formation tests for the reservoir and the caprocks to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate well before start-up; no later than three days before the test activity starts. The same applies correspondingly for injection wells before a storage location becomes operational.

Section 18
Reporting during drilling and well activity

The licensee shall report drilling and well activities daily to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate. Activities shall be reported throughout the lifetime of the well.

Section 19
Designation of subsea reservoirs

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate shall designate the names of subsea reservoirs.

If there are multiple subsea reservoirs in the same well, the geological unit shall be stated as supplementary information.

Section 20
Designation of permanently placed facilities

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate shall designate the names of permanently placed facilities.
Permanently placed facilities which may contain wellheads, shall be named using their quadrant/block number and letters from A to Z, with the exception of U and T, for each storage location/block. AA, AB, etc. can be used if needed.

Section 21
Plugging of well and wellbore

Licensees shall as soon as possible inform the Norwegian Offshore Directorate about material changes that have occurred following submission of documentation pursuant to this Chapter.

Section 22
Information concerning material changes

Licensees shall as soon as possible inform the Norwegian Offshore Directorate about material changes that have occurred following submission of documentation pursuant to this Chapter.

Chapter 4
Submitting materials and documentation

Section 23
Principle of no remuneration

Licensees sending or in other way make material and documentation available for the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, shall do it free of charge.

Section 24
Geophysical data

1. geophysical field data with the necessary navigational data,
2. processed seismic data, velocity data and navigational data,
3. processed gravimetric, magnetic and electromagnetic data, with associated navigational data,
4. analysis results, maps and profiles that show the results of other geophysical or geological surveys such as heat flow measurements, radiometric measurements, water column data, samples, etc.

Section 25
Interpreted geophysical data

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate may require interpreted geophysical data, in a particular format to be submitted.

Section 26
Geo-technical materials and documentation from exploration licences and exploitation licences in the event of relinquishment, surrender, lapse and expiry

The licensee shall submit a status report to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate within three months after an exploration or exploitation licence is surrendered, lapses or expires. The status report shall provide information about any acquired data, completed studies and results thereof, as well as an overview of potential prospects in the exploration or exploitation licence. In addition, the report shall provide an overview of all geo-technical materials and where they are stored, along with information about storage format.

The licensee shall also submit all significant geo-technical materials and documentation from the area relinquished through surrender, lapse or expiry of an exploration or exploitation licence, if this has not previously been submitted to the authorities. The same applies correspondingly in the event that parts of the area in an exploration licence are relinquished.

Section 27
Information regarding changes in rights to reported data

  The licensee shall consecutively report any information regarding changes in entitlements to reported data to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.

Section 28
Submitting samples and preparations from wells

The licensee shall submit samples, preparations and other materials from the individual well/wellbore to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate. Acquired materials shall be submitted to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate as soon as possible and no later than six months after drilling of the well is complete. Unless otherwise agreed, the standard quantities are as stated below.

The following applies to drill cuttings:

1. From exploration wells, drill cuttings samples shall be submitted for all types of rock in all geological formations where samples are collected
2. From injection wells and observation wells at the storage location, drill cuttings samples shall be submitted from the entire reservoir interval and the caprock
3. Unwashed drill cuttings samples shall be submitted with at least one kg of dried material from each sampling interval. Unwashed drill cuttings samples shall be dried at 40°C or lower. If the volume of drill cuttings samples is limited, at least half of collected drill cuttings samples shall be submitted, limited to a maximum of one kg
4. Washed drill cuttings samples shall be submitted with one rig set
5. From exploration wells, digital colour photos of all collected drill cuttings samples shall be submitted. The photos shall be taken after washing and drying the samples, and show the wellbore name, depth and scale
6. From exploration wells, results from X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) from all drill cuttings samples collected, should be submitted. If other analyses have been conducted, results shall be submitted to Norwegian Offshore Directorate

1. From exploration wells, a complete longitudinal section of collected conventional cores with one quarter core shall be submitted to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate. If the core diameter is less than 7.6 cm (3 inches) at least half of the core shall be submitted
2. From the first injection well cored at a storage location, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate shall receive a full longitudinal section of collected conventional cores with one half core. If cores are subsequently taken in formations not previously cored, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate shall receive cores from these wells as well
3. If there is a need for special core analyses, the licensee may apply to retain certain core intervals as full-diameter cores. When such analyses are carried out, the result shall be reported to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate. Half of the residual materials shall be submitted to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.
4. Digital colour photographs of the cores shall be submitted along with the conventional cores. The photographs shall be taken immediately after splitting, and must the wellbore name, core number, depth, orientation and scale

The following applies to fluid samples from formation strength testing and formation test logging:

1. 2 x 0.5 litres of each fluid (oil/condensate/formation water) from each interval or set of intervals tested shall be submitted. If a test yields less than 2 x 0.5 litres, a lesser volume may be submitted
2. As regards all types of tests, the fluid sample shall be taken in normal ambient conditions on the surface, i.e. approx. 101.3 kPa (1 atm) and 20°C. This entails that the lightest components evaporate, but in general, the sampling shall be carried out in a manner which ensures that the sample is as representative of the formation fluid as possible
3. Standard sample bottles shall be used and filled up to a maximum of approx. 85% of the bottle's total volume

1. Palynological preparations from drill cuttings, sidewall cores and conventional cores from all sample depths, shall be submitted
2. The content of the preparations shall be representative of the sample
3. Preparations shall be prepared with a permanent mounting medium

1. All samples shall be labelled in a clear and water-resistant manner with the name of the licensee (operator), date of sampling, name of the sample taker, name of the well and the depth, potentially the depth interval, they were taken from
2. Samples from formation tests and formation test logging shall also be labelled with test number, type of test, flow period and type of fluid
3. Fluid samples shall be delivered in 0.6-0.7-litre aluminium bottles with screw cap and gasket type that results in the lowest possible loss of fluid (standard sample bottle)
4. Drill cuttings samples shall be packed in airtight bags of good quality, or in high-density polyethylene bottles (HDPE bottles). Each individual sample must be clearly and properly labelled. HDPE bottles shall be used for unwashed samples from intervals with oil-based drilling fluid. The packaged samples shall be delivered in boxes with the following external measurements: height 14 cm, width 27 cm, length 90-110 cm
5. Conventional cores shall be delivered in solid, rigid boxes, with the following external measurements: height 10 cm, width 40 cm, length 90-110 cm

Section 29
Well data

The licensee shall submit all acquired data in the form of descriptions, measurements, groupings and results of calculations to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate as soon as they are available. Data collected in connection with a drilling operation shall be submitted no later than six months after drilling.

Section 30
Interpreted well data

The licensee shall submit interpreted well data to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate as soon as they are available. No later than six months after drilling the licensee shall submit:

1. geotechnical and reservoir technical final report for each well/wellbore
2. prognosis and result for wells with evaluation of the potential for storing CO2.

Section 32
Status report before injection and storage of CO2 starts

Notification and reporting
By notification and reporting to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate pursuant to Section 11-17 of the Regulations relating to storage and transport of CO2 on the shelf, or Section 79a of the Petroleum Regulations, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate may request additional information when this is deemed to be necessary.

Section 33
Using geological sample material from the Norwegian Offshore Directorate

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate may, based on an application, grant permission to use geological sample material from its geological sample archive.

The recipients of geological sample material must, within six months after sampling is carried out, submit to The Norwegian Offshore Directorate a complete final report and, analysis results from all studies, in addition to one set of thin sections, micropalaeontological and palynological slides, if these were produced.

Chapter 5
General provisions

Section 34
Regulatory authority and administrative decisions

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate carries out supervision of compliance with the provisions laid down in these Regulations or decisions made on the basis thereof, to ensure compliance.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate can make the necessary administrative decisions to implement provisions in these Regulations.

Section 35
Exemptions

In special instances, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate can grant exemptions from provisions laid down in these Regulations.

Section 36
Entry into force, etc.

This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2018.

Last translated March 2023.  

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English version is only revised periodically and may not necessarily reflect recent changes.

Updated: 15/03/2024