Petroleum (Production) Act 1918

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Petroleum (Production) Act 1918
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to make provision with respect to the searching and boring for and getting Petroleum, and for purposes connected therewith
Citation1918 chapter 52
Territorial extentUnited Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent21 November 1918
Other legislation
Repealed byPetroleum (Production) Act 1934
Status: Repealed

The Petroleum (Production) Act 1918 (8 & 9 Geo. 5 Chapter 52) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which regulates the exploration and production of petroleum from underground strata.

Background[]

In the early the twentieth century, Britain imported most of its petroleum from the Middle East and America.[1] The First World War reduced access to some of these sources and increased the demand and use of petroleum.[1] The government wanted to develop indigenous (UK) sources of petroleum but wished to avoid ‘wildcat’ development which had taken place in the USA. Legislation was therefore required to control the petroleum industry. The regulatory regime allowed only agents of the Crown or those licensed by the Crown to search for, or produce, petroleum.[2]

Petroleum (Production) Act 1918[]

The Petroleum (Production) Act 1918 (8 & 9 Geo. 5 Chapter 52) received Royal Assent on 21 November 1918. Its long title is ‘An Act to make provision with respect to the searching and boring for and getting Petroleum, and for purposes connected therewith’.

Provisions[]

The Act comprises 7 Sections[3]

  • Section 1 – Prohibition on persons other than the Crown getting etc. petroleum
  • Section 2 – Powers of Minister of Munitions
  • Section 3 – Powers to inspect plans of mines
  • Section 4 – Records of petroleum gotten
  • Section 5 – Interpretation
  • Section 6 – Savings
  • Section 7 – Short Title

Consequences[]

Between the enactment of the 1918 Act and 1934 only seven licences were issued and by 1934 only three were in force.[4]

The 1918 Act was repealed by the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934 which vested in the Crown the property in petroleum and natural gas within Great Britain.[5]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Craig, Jonathan, Francesco Gerali, Fiona MacAulay and Rasoul Sorkhabi. "The history of the European oil and gas industry (1600s–2000s)". lyell collection. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  2. ^ More, Charles (2009). Black Gold: Britain and oil in the twentieth century. London: continuum. pp. 62–63. ISBN 9781847250438.
  3. ^ Petroleum (Production) Act 1918
  4. ^ "Oil in Britain". The Times. 20 April 1934. p. 7.
  5. ^ Petroleum (Production) Act 1934
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