Charging Regime for Offshore Oil and Gas Activities - Consultation Concluded
Summary
OPRED and DESNZ have concluded their consultation on revised hourly rates for specialist and non-specialist staff fees under the new offshore decommissioning charging regime. The consultation ran from 17 February to 13 March 2026 and sought feedback on rates used to calculate costs recovered for the Secretary of State's environmental and decommissioning functions under Part IV of the Petroleum Act 1998. Changes were enabled by amendments to the Petroleum Act 1998 made by the Energy Act 2023.
What changed
This notice announces the closure of OPRED's consultation on revised hourly rates for specialist and non-specialist staff fees applicable to offshore environmental and decommissioning functions. The consultation proposed rates under the new charging regime enabled by the Energy Act 2023 amendments to the Petroleum Act 1998.
Affected offshore oil and gas operators should monitor for subsequent secondary legislation that will bring the new charging regime into force. The revised rates will apply to cost recovery for Secretary of State statutory functions, and operators engaged in decommissioning activities should prepare for potential changes to fee structures.
What to do next
- Monitor for updates on secondary legislation implementing the new charging regime
- Review the government response and consultation documents for details on revised fee rates
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Consultation outcome
Charging regime for offshore oil and gas activities
From: Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Published 20 February 2026 Last updated 13 April 2026
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This consultation has concluded
Read the full outcome
Government Response - Joint Consultation on Decommissioning Charging Regulations and OPRED Fees Rates
PDF, 265 KB, 20 pages
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Detail of outcome
This consultation is closed.
Summary
Proposed changes to the rates of fees in respect of offshore environmental functions and decommissioning functions
This consultation ran from
**
10am on 17 February 2026
to
11:59pm on 13 March 2026
**
Consultation description
In 2021, the Government proposed changing the method for calculating the charges to industry for work undertaken by OPRED in connection to the Secretary of State’s functions under Part IV of the Petroleum Act 1998 (PA 1998). These changes were enabled by amendments to the PA 1998 made by the Energy Act 2023, and require further, secondary legislation (regulations) to bring the changes into force.
As part of the process for making the new legislation, OPRED consulted on draft regulations, and draft guidance explaining how the new charging regime will work in practice. This consultation is now closed and responses are being considered. A copy of the consultation document can be found here.
The rates for fees included in the consultation document are no longer accurate. In connection with the fees for environmental functions and the new decommissioning charging regime, OPRED is now consulting on the revised hourly rates for specialist and non-specialist staff, which will be used to calculate the costs recovered in connection with the Secretary of State’s statutory environmental and decommissioning functions.
This consultation sets out the details of the revised rates, the specific questions we are seeking feedback on, and how to respond to the consultation.
When responding, please state whether you are responding as an individual or representing the views of an organisation. Your response will be most useful if it is framed in direct response to the questions posed in the consultation document, though further comments and evidence are also welcome.
Documents
OPRED Fees Rates 2026 Consultation Document
PDF, 209 KB, 15 pages
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Updates to this page
Published 20 February 2026 Last updated 13 April 2026 show all updates
1.
13 April 2026
Published the government response to the consultation on OPRED’s decommissioning charging regulations and hourly rates consultations.
2.
20 February 2026
First published.
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