The Frontier and Offshore Regulatory Renewal Initiative (FORRI) was established in 2005 with the objective of regulatory renewal and modernization. It is led by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) with partici¬pation from other federal, provincial and regulatory organizations including the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB), the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB), and Canada Energy Regulator (CER).
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Operations Framework Regulations (known as the Framework Regulations) modernize existing regulatory requirements from a prescriptive approach to a hybrid approach where performance-based requirements are used to the extent pos¬sible, while maintaining prescriptive requirements where necessary.
For the CNSOPB, the Framework Regulations replace the following prescriptive regulations:
• Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Installation Regu¬lations
• Nova Scotia Offshore Certificate of Fitness Regula¬tions
• Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Geophysical Operations Regulations
• Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Drilling and Pro¬duction Regulations
The Framework Regulations came into force on October 28, 2024. Please visit our Legislation and Regulatory Instruments webpage to view these Regulations. They can be found under the Regulations dropdown on the page.
In conjunction with the Framework Regulations, the CNSOPB and C-NLOPB are preparing a suite of guidelines to provide clarity and alignment amongst regulators, governments, industry and stakeholders with respect to the regulators’ interpretation of the new regulations, possible means of compliance and other considerations. The suite of guidelines include:
• Guideline for the Framework Regulations
• Safety Plan Guideline
• Environmental Protection Plan Guideline
• Contingency Plan Guideline
The CNSOPB and C-NLOPB have reviewed feedback received from the public comment period for these guidelines and are in the process of incorporating improvements. The intent is to publish the suite of guidelines in draft form for a minimum of a one-year period to allow real-time reflection and adoption of learnings and to signal continued engagement with Indigenous communities, fishers, and other stakeholders for improvement opportunities. It is expected that the suite of guidelines for the Framework Regulations will be ready to publish in the coming months and will be announced with a follow-up “Latest News” posting. Once available, please visit our Legislation and Regulatory Instruments webpage to view these guidelines. They will be found under the Guidelines dropdown on the page.
If you have any questions, please contact the CNSOPB at info@cnsopb.ns.ca or 902-422-5588.