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<p>The central aim of the regulatory framework is to ensure wells are made safe so
that they can be decommissioned with no need for on-going attention.</p><p> </p><p>Each
shale gas licensee (and there may be more than one for each licence) is responsible
for the well. When operations finish, the licensees are responsible for safe decommissioning
of the well(s) and for restoring the well-site to its previous state or a suitable
condition for re-use.</p><p> </p><p>The operator is required to design and construct
an oil and gas well with a view to its safe decommissioning. The operator is also
required to provide a notification to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prior
to decommissioning and abandonment of the well. The notification and subsequent weekly
operations reports, submitted by the operator, allow HSE inspectors to scrutinise
the activity to ensure that the well is being decommissioned and abandoned as required
by the Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc.) Regulations
1996. This requires all oil and gas wells to be abandoned in such a way that there
can be no escape of fluids from the well or from the reservoir associated with it,
so far as is reasonably practicable.</p><p><strong> </strong></p>
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