Citation, coming into force and duration

1.-(1) This Order may be cited as the Gas Act 1986 (Exemptions) (No. 2) Order 1996.

(2) This Order and the exemptions contained in it shall come into force on 1st March 1996 and each such exemption, unless previously revoked in accordance with paragraph (3) of this article, shall continue in force until 1st March 2011 and shall then expire.

(3) Any exemption contained in this Order shall only be revoked with effect from a date after the expiry of the period of four months beginning with the day on which the Order containing the revocation was laid before Parliament.

Interpretation

2. In this Order-

"the 1986 Act" means the Gas Act 1986;

"the 1995 Act" means the Gas Act 1995;

"terminal operator" has the meaning given by article 3(2) below.

Scope of exemptions

3.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2) below, an exemption from section 5(1)(a) of the 1986 Act is hereby granted, in respect of each of the premises identified in Schedule 1 to this Order, to any person in respect of the conveyance of gas by that person from those premises through pipes to a pipe-line system operated by a public gas transporter.

(2) A person conveying gas as mentioned in paragraph (1) above (hereinafter, a "terminal operator") is entitled to the exemption there provided for only if and so long as he satisfies the condition set out in article 6 below in relation to the conveyance in respect of which the exemption is granted.

4. An exemption from section 5(1)(a) is hereby granted, in respect of each of the addresses specified in Schedule 2 to this Order, to any person in respect of the conveyance of gas by that person from that address through pipes to a pipe-line system operated by a public gas transporter.

5. Each of the persons mentioned in column 1 of Schedule 3 to this Order is hereby granted an exemption from section 5(1)(b) of the 1986 Act in respect of the supply of gas to each of the premises identified in column 2 of that Schedule.

Condition of exemptions granted by article 3

6.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2) below, each terminal operator shall, except in so far as the Secretary of State consents to his not doing so, comply with any direction given by the Secretary of State, after he has consulted the terminal operator, the relevant transporter, the Director General of Gas Supply and the Health and Safety Executive, to supply to a relevant transporter such information as may be specified or described in the direction-

(a)at such times, in such form and such manner; and

(b)in respect of such periods, not being less than 1 hour,

as may be so specified or described.

(2) No terminal operator shall be in breach of this condition if he is prevented from complying with such a direction by an incident beyond his control.

(3) In this condition, unless the context otherwise requires-

"information" means information-

(a)relevant to the operation of a pipe-line system-

(i)which is operated by such public gas transporter as may be specified in the direction given by the Secretary of State; and

(ii)to which gas is conveyed-

(aa)by the terminal operator in pursuance of an exemption granted by article 3; or

(bb)directly or indirectly, by a public gas transporter to whose pipe-line system the terminal operator conveys gas in pursuance of an exemption granted by article 3; and

(b)relating to-

(i)the calorific value or the total quantity of gas expected to be conveyed or which could be conveyed during the next following day by the terminal operator through pipes in pursuance of an exemption granted by article 3; or

(ii)any changes in such calorific value or total quantity as may be so specified;

"day" means the period beginning at 6 a.m. on one day and ending immediately before 6 a.m. on the next following day;

"relevant transporter" means a public gas transporter operating a pipe-line system to which the terminal operator conveys gas through pipes in pursuance of an exemption granted by article 3.

Article 3

SCHEDULE 1PREMISES TO WHICH ARTICLE 3 APPLIES

1. Barrow Terminals

Rampside Road

Barrow-in-Furness

Cumbria

LA13 0QU

(an address of British Gas Exploration and Production Limited)

2. Amoco CATS Terminal

Seal Sands Road

Seal Sands

Middlesbrough

Cleveland

TS2 1UB

3. Teesside Gas Processing Plant

Seal Sands Road

Seal Sands

Middlesbrough

Cleveland

TS2 1UB

(an address of Enron Power Operations Limited)

4. Bacton Gas Terminal

Bacton

Norfolk

NR12 0JG

(an address of Phillips Petroleum Company United Kingdom Limited)

5. Gas Terminal

Paston Road

Bacton

Norwich

Norfolk

NR12 0JE

(an address of Shell U.K. Limited)

6. Amoco Natural Gas Terminal

Bacton

Norfolk

NR12 0JF

7. British Gas Exploration and Production Limited Field Management and Support Base

Dimlington Road

Easington

Hull

Humberside

HU12 0SX

8. Easington Terminal

Easington

Hull

Humberside

HU12 0TG

(an address of BP Exploration Operating Company Limited)

9. Dimlington Terminal

Easington

Humberside

Hull

HU12 0SU

(an address of Britoil plc)

10. Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal

Theddlethorpe St. Helen

Mablethorpe

Lincolnshire

LN12 1NQ

(an address of Conoco (U.K.) Limited)

11. St. Fergus Gas Plant

Peterhead

Aberdeenshire

AB42 6WJ

(an address of Shell U.K. Limited)

12. SAGE Terminal

St. Fergus

Peterhead

Aberdeenshire

AB42 7EP

(an address of Mobil North Sea Limited)

13. Frigg North Sea Gas Terminal

St. Fergus

Aberdeenshire

AB42 7EP

(an address of Total Oil Marine p.l.c.)

Article 4

SCHEDULE 2ADDRESSES TO WHICH ARTICLE 4 APPLIES

1. Gathering Station

Wytch

Corfe Castle

Wareham

Dorset

BH20 5JR

(an address of BP Exploration Operating Company Limited)

2. Caythorpe Wellsite

Rudston

Driffield

North Humberside

YO25 0JD

(an address of Perenco U.K. Limited)

3. Hatfield Moors Gas Field

Lindholme Bank Road

Hatfield Woodhouse

Doncaster

(an address of Edinburgh Oil & Gas plc)

Article 5

SCHEDULE 3PERSONS TO WHOM, AND PREMISES TO WHICH, ARTICLE 5 APPLIES

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Section 6A of the Gas Act 1986, substituted by section 4 of the Gas Act 1995, provides for the granting by order of exemptions from the prohibition contained in section 5 of the 1986 Act from carrying on the conveyance and supply of gas without a licence. This Order contains a number of such exemptions in respect of particular premises and addresses.

Schedules 1 and 2 (see articles 3 and 4) relate to exemptions in respect of the conveyance of gas from the premises and addresses there mentioned to a pipe-line system operated by a public gas transporter. The exemptions to which Schedule 1 relates are subject to the condition set out in article 6, whereby the Secretary of State may direct the person so conveying gas to provide information about the calorific value and quantity of the gas to the public gas transporter.

Schedule 3 (see article 5) relates to exemptions in respect of the supply of gas by the persons there specified to certain named premises.