Finance Act 2015

7 U.K. Before section 356J (but after the heading “Interpretation”) insert—

“356IB Authorisation of development”: oil fields

(1) In this Chapter a reference to authorisation of development of an oil field is a reference to a national authority—

(a) granting a licensee consent for development of the field,

(b) serving on a licensee a programme of development for the field, or

(c) approving a programme of development for the field.

(2) In this section—

• “consent for development”, in relation to an oil field, does not include consent which is limited to the purpose of testing the characteristics of an oil-bearing area,

• “development”, in relation to an oil field, means winning oil from the field otherwise than in the course of searching for oil or drilling wells, and

• “national authority” means—

  (a)

  the Secretary of State, or

  (b)

  a Northern Ireland department.”