{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prevention-of-oil-pollution-act-1971/section-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prevention-of-oil-pollution-act-1971/section-3.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1971/60",
  "legislation_title": "Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prevention-of-oil-pollution-act-1971",
  "path": "section/3",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "Discharge of certain oils from pipe-lines or as the result of exploration etc. in designated areas.",
  "text": "(1) If any oil to which section 1 of this Act applies, or any mixture containing such oil, is discharged into any part of the sea—\n(a) from a pipe-line; or\n(b) (otherwise than from a ship) as the result of any operation for the exploration of the sea-bed and subsoil or the exploitation of their natural resources in a designated area,\nthen, subject to the following provisions of this Act, the owner of the pipe-line or, as the case may be, the person carrying on the operations shall be guilty of an offence unless the discharge was from a place in his occupation and he proves that it was due to the act of a person who was there without his permission (express or implied).\n(2) In this section “designated area” means an area for the time being designated by an Order made under section 1 of the Continental Shelf Act 1964.\n(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £50,000 or on conviction on indictment to a fineon summary conviction, or on conviction on indictment, to a fine.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(3) substituted (E.W.) (12.3.2015) by The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Fines on Summary Conviction) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/664), reg. 1(1), Sch. 4 para. 6(3) (with reg. 5(1))"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1964 c. 29."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 3 excluded (20.8.2005) by Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2055), regs. 1, 18(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/60/section/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:49:41.912025+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}