Guidance

Oil and gas: environmental alert notices

Published environmental alert notices issued in order to raise awareness of any environmental issues on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS).

• From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Published: 5 July 2018
• Last updated: 2 March 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 2 March 2026

     New Environmental alert published - OPRED expectations for wells that are not connected to offshore installations in Oil Pollution Emergency Plans (OPEPs).

  2. 16 February 2026

     OPRED has published an Environmental Alert to remind offshore chemical Permit holders of the requirement to include offshore chemicals used in "Open systems” in the associated chemical permit. The Environmental Alert defines Open” and “Closed” systems.

  3. 1 July 2025

     OPEP 5 year review

  4. 12 June 2025

     Reminder to Permit Holders of their responsibilities and compliance obligations with regards to usage (and specifically injection) concentrations of offshore chemicals.

  5. 6 December 2024

     Publication of Environmental Alert 002/2024, Reporting of offshore installation movements.

  6. 7 June 2024

     An Environmental Alert (001/2024) is added which advises a partial relaxation with regards to the required range for fog signals on Offshore Installations.

  7. 19 May 2023

     A new environmental alert has been published by OPRED.

  8. 5 May 2023

     Note to Duty Holders, particularly those who utilise ATEX call point activation switches to control systems with the potential for environmental release.

  9. 29 November 2021

     Addition of Environmental Alert 001/2021

  10. 24 August 2021

      Explanation of use for ‘Known Third Party’ option on PON1 reporting form removed due to change in Guidance.

  11. 14 January 2020

      Addition of Environmental Alert 001/2020

  12. 13 May 2019

      Addition of Environmental Alert 001/2019

  13. 5 July 2018

      First published.

The Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) regularly issues environmental alert notices in order to raise awareness of any environmental issues on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) so companies can respond appropriately. They are issued directly to Oil and Gas operators and published below.

• OPRED expectations for wells that are not connected to offshore installations in Oil Pollution Emergency Plans (OPEPs). Environmental Alert - 002/2026 - Issue Date 2 March 2026 (PDF, 131 KB, 2 pages)

• Requirement to include offshore chemicals used in “Open systems” in the associated chemical permit, and the definitions of “Open” and “Closed” systems Environmental Alert - 001/2026 - Issue Date - 16 February 2026 (PDF, 170 KB, 2 pages)

• OPEP 5 Year Review Enviromental Alert - 002/2025 - Issue Date - 1 July 2025 (PDF, 148 KB, 2 pages)

• Reminder to Permit Holders of their responsibilities and compliance obligations with regards to usage (and specifically injection) concentrations of offshore chemicals Environmental Alert 001/2025 - Issue Date 12 June 2025 (PDF, 118 KB, 2 pages)

• Reporting of offshore installation movements Environmental Alert 002/2024 - Issue Date 6 December 2024 (PDF, 52.3 KB, 1 page)

• Partial relaxation with regards to the required range for fog signals on Offshore Installations Environmental Alert 001/2024- Issue Date 7 June 2024 (PDF, 137 KB, 2 pages)

• Over report of oil discharges to sea during OPPC non-compliances Environmental Alert 002/2023 - Issue Date 19 May 2023 (PDF, 125 KB, 4 pages)

• Note to Duty Holders, particularly those who utilise ATEX call point activation switches Environmental Alert 001/2023 - Issue date 5 May 2023 (PDF, 71.3 KB, 2 pages)

• Phase down of F-Gas in 2022 Environmental Alert 001/2021 - Issue date 29 November 2021 (PDF, 108 KB, 1 page)

• MET Office out of hours incident reporting number change Environmental Alert 001/2020 - Issue date 14 January 2020 (PDF, 143 KB, 1 page)

• Phase Down of F gas in 2020 Environmental Alert 001/2019 - Issue Date 13 May 2019 (PDF, 80.3 KB, 2 pages)

• Construction and commissioning of chemical storage tanks Environmental Alert 003/2017 - Issue date 07 December 2017 (PDF, 51.9 KB, 2 pages)

• Note to Industry of the requirement to inform United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) Environmental Alert 002/2017 - Issue date 16 November 2017 (PDF, 36 KB, 3 pages)

• Lower BOP annular and implications for capping stack Environmental Alert 001/2017 - Issue date 3 July 2017 (PDF, 104 KB, 2 pages)

• OPEP Guidance revision Environmental Alert 003/2016 - Issue date 19 December 2016 (PDF, 26.7 KB, 1 page)

• Investigation findings into EIA decisions, Marine Licences and survey consents Environmental Alerts 002/2016 - Issue date 02 November 2016 (PDF, 92.8 KB, 1 page)

• Incorrect co-ordinates being recorded on a PON1 Environmental Alert 001/2016 - Issue date 15 April 2016 (PDF, 83.5 KB, 1 page)

• Environmental permits - Operator name Environmental Alert 002/2015 - Issue date 1 April 2015 (PDF, 24.2 KB, 1 page)

• Inspection and monitoring of BOP control lines Environmental Alert 001/2015 - Issue date 3 March 2015 (PDF, 393 KB, 3 pages)

• Bunkering Operations during the hours of darkness - PON1 reports Environmental Alert 006/2014 - Issue date 31 December 2014 (PDF, 103 KB, 1 page)

• Incorrect calculation of oil on sand concentrations Environmental Alert 005/2014 - Issue date 10 November 2014 (PDF, 82.2 KB, 2 pages)

• Energy Act 2008, Part 4a - Consent to Locate Environmental Alert 004/2014 - Issue date 28 October 2014 (PDF, 93.1 KB, 1 page)

• F-Gas Regulations Environmental Alert 003/2014 - Issue date 29 August 2014 (PDF, 25.6 KB, 1 page)

• Emergency Deposit Consents Environmental Alert 002/2014 - Issue date 25 April 2014 (PDF, 103 KB, 2 pages)

• PON1 reporting requirements Environmental Alert 001/2014 - Issue date 31 March 2014 (PDF, 27.5 KB, 2 pages)

• F-Gas reporting awareness Environmental Alert 007/2013 - Issue date 20 November 2013 (PDF, 36.2 KB, 2 pages)

• Emergency chemical permit variations Environmental Alert 006/2013 - Issue date 20 September 2013 (PDF, 87.2 KB, 1 page)

• Risk assessments for temporary equipment Environmental Alert 005/2013 - Issue date 19 August 2013 (PDF, 24.9 KB, 2 pages)

• Oil sample handling Environmental Alert 004/2013 - Issue date 29 July 2013 (PDF, 85.6 KB, 2 pages)

• Late submission of PON1s Environmental Alert 003/2013 - Issue date 23 May 2013 (PDF, 25.9 KB, 2 pages)

• Composition of releases to sea Environmental Alert 002/2013 - Issue date 27 March 2013 (PDF, 12 KB, 1 page)

• Procedures for environmentally critical tasks Environmental Alert 001/2013 - Issue date 14 January 2013 (PDF, 34.4 KB, 1 page)

• Cargo offload systems Environmental Alert 002/2012 - Issue date 29 November 2012 (PDF, 69.7 KB, 1 page)

• Bunkering of bulk products/chemicals Environmental Alert 001/2012 - Issue date 30 October 2012 (PDF, 10.5 KB, 1 page)

• Lost or dropped objects from offshore installations Environmental Alert 002/2011 - Issue date 09 December 2011 (PDF, 10.7 KB, 1 page)

• Oil pollution incident response training Environmental Alert 001/2011 - Issue date 06 October 2011 (PDF, 47.1 KB, 2 pages)

• Inclusion of subsea infrastructure in OPEPs Environmental Alert 001/2010 - Issue date 05 January 2010 (PDF, 69.1 KB, 1 page)

• New emergency chemical permit variations procedure Environmental Alert 004/2009 - Issue date 11 August 2009 (PDF, 56.1 KB, 2 pages)

• Permit applications/non-compliances/investigations Environmental Alert 003/2009 - Issue date 04 June 2009 (PDF, 61.4 KB, 2 pages)

• Emergency contact numbers Environmental Alert 002/2009 - Issue date 02 April 2009 (PDF, 56.4 KB, 1 page)

• Closure of isolation valves Environmental Alert 001/2009 - Issue date 09 March 2009 (PDF, 53.5 KB, 1 page)

• Environmental risk from drainage pump Environmental Alert 001/2008 - Issue date 12 November 2008 (PDF, 61.5 KB, 1 page)