Regulations relating to the health, safety and welfare of persons employed, and protection of other persons, property, the environment and natural resources, in, at or in the vicinity of exploration and production areas made under the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act, 1991.

These Regulations prescribe, inter alia, measures and precautions to be taken by operators in the field of petroleum exploration and exploitation to prevent or limit damages to the environment. Regulation 3 defines a main responsibility for health, safety and welfare of persons employed or performing work, and for protection of other persons, property, the environment and natural resources, in, at or in respect of any area where petroleum activities are carried out.
An operator shall, with a view to complying with the obligations relating to petroleum activities, establish an internal control system to ensure that petroleum activities are carried out in a proper and safe manner (reg. 8). If an installation is relocated, no longer used for petroleum activities or is abandoned the operator shall, subject to the Petroleum Act, ensure that the environment is restored to its normal condition to the extent possible (reg. 15). The operator shall ensure that an installation is equipped with instruments for registration of such environmental data as may be necessary to exercise control over any petroleum activities (reg. 23). The operator shall in the event of any pollution by the spilling of petroleum arising from the petroleum activities carried out under the licence concerned, ensure compliance with their oil spill contingency plan and ensure that the pollution of the environment and the coastline are prevented or limited, if not possible to prevent such pollution (reg. 74). Section 61 concerns the transport, storage and use of hazardous substances. The operator shall prepare an emergency preparedness plan in accordance with regulation 66.