The Oil and Pipelines Act 1985 (c. 62) is an Act of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
which established the
Oil and Pipelines Agency
The Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA) is a statutory corporation of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the United Kingdom. Its current role is to operate six coastal Oil Fuel Depots on behalf of the MoD. The OPA was also previously responsible for th ...
to buy, sell or deal in petroleum and to manage on behalf of the Crown petroleum pipelines and storage installations. The act abolished the
British National Oil Corporation
Britoil plc was originally a privatised British oil company operating in the North Sea. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. The company was acquired by BP in 1988, becoming a brand of it.British National Oil Corporation
Britoil plc was originally a privatised British oil company operating in the North Sea. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. The company was acquired by BP in 1988, becoming a brand of it.Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975. BNOC, as constituted, was effectively two businesses: firstly for the production of oil and petroleum, and secondly for trading in oil. The
Oil and Gas (Enterprise) Act 1982
The Oil and Gas (Enterprise) Act 1982 (1982 chapter 23) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which started the process of privatisation of the oil and gas industries in the UK. It empowered the government to float off and sell share ...
enabled the government to transfer the upstream oil exploration and production side of the BNOC's business into
Britoil
Britoil plc was originally a privatised British oil company operating in the North Sea. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. The company was acquired by BP in 1988, becoming a brand of it.Oil and Pipelines Agency
The Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA) is a statutory corporation of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the United Kingdom. Its current role is to operate six coastal Oil Fuel Depots on behalf of the MoD. The OPA was also previously responsible for th ...
.
Oil and Pipelines Act 1985
The Oil and Pipelines Act 1985 received
royal assent
Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...
on 30 October 1985. Its long title is: ‘An Act to provide for the establishment and functions of a body corporate to be called the Oil and Pipelines Agency, for the vesting in that Agency of the property, rights and liabilities of the British National Oil Corporation and for the subsequent dissolution of that Corporation.’
Provisions
The Act comprises 8 Sections and 4 Schedules.
* Section 1 – established the Oil and Pipelines Agency, comprising a chairman and two to four other members appointed by the Secretary of State for Energy.
* Section 2 – defined the functions of the Agency including the power to buy, sell or deal in petroleum and to manage on behalf of the Crown petroleum pipelines and storage installations.
* Section 3 – transferred to the Agency the property and rights of the British National Oil Corporation.
* Section 4 – placed a duty on the Agency to dispose of the surplus property, rights and liabilities of the corporation.
* Section 5 – placed a duty on the Agency to comply with any instruction from the Secretary of State.
* Section 6 – Interpretation of terms.
* Section 7 – Amendments and repeals of Legislation.
* Section 8 – Short title, commencement and extent.
* Schedule 1 – The Agency: appointment and tenure of members, remuneration, staff, proceedings, documents.
* Schedule 2 –Supplementary provisions of Section 3.
* Schedule 3 – Financial and other provisions, borrowing, loans and grants by, and payments to, the Secretary of State, annual reports and accounts, audits.
* Schedule 4 – Repeals: Part 1 (Sections 1–16) of the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975, which had established BNOC; and Sections 1 to 7 of the Oil and Gas (Enterprise) Act 1982, which related to the powers of BNOC.
Consequential legislation
The provisions of the Oil and Pipelines Act 1985 came into force on 1 December 1985.
The appointed day for the transfer of assets from BNOC to the OPA was 1 December 1985 (Statutory Instrument S.I. 1985/1749)
The British National Oil Corporation was dissolved 27 March 1986 (S.I. 1986/585).
See also
*
Oil and gas industry in the United Kingdom The oil and gas industry plays a central role in the economy of the United Kingdom. Oil and gas account for more than three-quarters of the UK's total primary energy needs. Oil provides 97 per cent of the fuel for transport, and gas is a key fuel fo ...
*
North Sea Oil
North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid petroleum and natural gas, produced from petroleum reservoirs beneath the North Sea.
In the petroleum industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea ...
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Oil and Pipelines Agency
The Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA) is a statutory corporation of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the United Kingdom. Its current role is to operate six coastal Oil Fuel Depots on behalf of the MoD. The OPA was also previously responsible for th ...