We publish summaries of all our audit and verification reports (see right-hand column).
The following is a brief description of the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway's supervisory function, including important principles and terms applied in the supervisory activities.
Duties and responsibilities
All players who participate in the petroleum activities have a duty to ensure compliance with the regulations in connection with their activities.
The licensees in a production license shall ensure that the operating company and other players fulfill statutory requirements, while the operator has a general responsibility for ensuring compliance. All employees are obliged to cooperate in this process.
Supervision plan
Each year, we prepare a supervision plan which describes all planned supervisory activities, including audits and verifications. The supervision plan is exempt from public disclosure and neither the players nor the general public have access to this plan.
The supervision plan is based on
- priorities established by the ministry for the year (e.g. lifting operations, gas leaks)
- the operating companies' own activity plans and their own planned audits
- input from SFT,the Norwegian Board of Health and other agencies that the PSA cooperates with
observed trends - our experience with the players' activities
- accidents and incidents
- consequences of new or revised regulations
Audits and verifications
Through audits (systematic examination of management and control systems) the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway carries out supervision of the established systems. With the aid of verifications (measurements, testing, inspection) we check to ensure that the actual circumstances conform with regulatory and management system requirements. This often takes place in cooperation with the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) and the Norwegian Board of Health, or other agencies who are delegated authority by us.
Policy instruments
There is a continuous dialogue between the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway and the players on the Norwegian shelf. For us, this dialogue is a means of influencing decisions/actions, and it is a central element in our supervision strategy. If the dialogue is unsuccessful, we can give notice of orders, and then orders.
In serious cases where safety is endangered, we can demand that an activity be temporarily stopped. The authorities can also file charges with the police and impose fines.
