OPRED has issued Environmental Alert 002/2026 to clarify that, although wells not connected to offshore installations aren’t formally defined as offshore installations under the Merchant Shipping (Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation Convention) Regulations 1998, best-practice oil pollution emergency planning means Responsible Persons should include such “disconnected wells” and their potential oil release risks in their Oil Pollution Emergency Plans (OPEPs).
This demonstrates robust response capability and outlining reporting and response arrangements, and avoid referencing offshore response capabilities where these do not exist.
OPRED will update its OPEP guidance in due course but until then this interim expectation applies, and no changes are currently required where details of these wells have already been submitted on request.
Source: OPRED, DESNZ.