Regulation 2 Interpretation

In this Part—

• “licensee” means a person who holds a petroleum licence or, where a petroleum licence is held by more than one person, together the persons who hold that petroleum licence;

• “non-production levy” means the levy which is payable in respect of the relevant charging period in accordance with regulation 4 and which is calculated in accordance with the formula at regulation 5(2);

• “offshore exploration licence” means a petroleum licence of the sort referred to in regulation 2(2)(a) of the Offshore Exploration (Petroleum, and Gas Storage and Unloading) (Model Clauses) Regulations 2009^f1, relating to an area any part of which lies within offshore waters;

• “offshore production licence” means a petroleum licence relating to an area any part of which lies within offshore waters which is not an offshore exploration licence;

• “offshore waters” means—

  1. (a)

     the waters comprising the territorial sea of the United Kingdom, and

  2. (b)

     the sea in any area for the time being designated under section 1(7) of the Continental Shelf Act 1964^f2;

• “payment notice” means a notice given to a licensee in accordance with regulation 6 in respect of the relevant charging period;

• “production levy” means the levy which is payable in respect of the relevant charging period in accordance with regulation 3 and which is calculated in accordance with the formula at regulation 5(1);

• “petroleum licence” means a licence granted under—

  1. (a)

     section 2 of the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934^f3 (licences to search for and get petroleum), or

  2. (b)

     section 3 of the Petroleum Act 1998^f4 (licences to search for and bore for and get petroleum),

  which is not an excluded licence^f5 in relation to the relevant charging period;

• “relevant charging period” means the period beginning on 1st April 2023 and ending on 31st March 2024;

• “relevant time” means 12.01am on 1st April 2023;

• “total amount of levy” means the total payable by licensees in accordance with regulations 3 and 4, being £35,155,000.