# The Petroleum Licensing (Production) (Seaward Areas) Regulations 2008, Paragraph 16: Working obligations

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(1) The Licensee shall before the expiry of Phase C of the Initial Term carry out the Work Programme.
(2) If at any time the OGA serves a notice in writing on the Licensee requiring him to submit to the OGA, before a date specified in the notice, an appropriate programme for exploring for Petroleum in the Licensed Area during a period so specified, the Licensee shall comply with the notice; and for the purposes of this paragraph an appropriate programme is one which any person who, if he—
(a) were entitled to exploit the rights granted by this licence; and
(b) had the competence and resources needed to exploit those rights to the best commercial advantage; and
(c) were seeking to exploit those rights to the best commercial advantage,
could reasonably be expected to carry out during the period specified in the notice, and that period must be within the term of this licence.
(3) If a programme is submitted to the OGA in consequence of a notice served by it in pursuance of paragraph (2) of this clause, then—
(a) it shall not be entitled to revoke this licence on the ground that the programme does not satisfy the requirements of that paragraph (“the Relevant Requirements”); but
(b) if it is of the opinion that the programme does not satisfy the Relevant Requirements it may serve a notice in writing on the Licensee stating its opinion and the reasons for it.
(4) Where notice in respect of a programme is served on the Licensee in pursuance of paragraph (3) of this clause the Licensee shall either—
(a) within 28 days beginning with the date of service of the notice refer to arbitration, in the manner provided by clause 43 of this licence, the question whether the programme satisfies the Relevant Requirements; or
(b) within a reasonable period beginning with the date of service of such notice submit to the OGA a further programme which satisfies the Relevant Requirements,
and where it is determined in consequence of any reference to arbitration in pursuance of sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph that the programme in question does not satisfy the Relevant Requirements the Licensee shall submit to the OGA, as soon as possible after the date of the determination, a further programme which satisfies the Relevant Requirements.
(5) The Licensee shall carry out any programme submitted by him in pursuance of this clause as to which either—
(a) the OGA serves notice in writing on the Licensee stating that the OGA approves the programme; or
(b) it is determined in consequence of any reference to arbitration in the manner provided by clause 43 of this licence that the programme satisfies the Relevant Requirements,
and any programme approved by the OGA in pursuance of this paragraph shall be deemed for the purposes of this licence to satisfy the Relevant Requirements.
(6) Where, in consequence of any breach or non-observance by the Licensee of any provision of paragraph (2), (4) or (5) of this clause, the OGA has power by virtue of paragraph (1) of clause 41 of this licence to revoke this licence, it may if it thinks fit exercise that power in relation to such part only of the Licensed Area as it may specify; and where it does so the rights granted by this licence shall cease in respect of the specified part of that area without prejudice to any obligation or liability imposed upon the Licensee or incurred by him under the terms of this licence.
(7) Where the Licensee has a duty by virtue of this clause to carry out a programme during a part of the term of this licence, the OGA may serve notice in pursuance of paragraph (2) of this clause in respect of another part of that term.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/225/schedule/paragraph/16 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/petroleum-licensing-production-seaward-areas-regulations-2008/schedule/paragraph-16
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.