ENERGY Citation, commencement, extent and application 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Oil and Gas Authority (Carbon Storage) (Retention of Information and Samples) Regulations 2025. 2 These Regulations come into force on 13th May 2025. 3 These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 4 These Regulations apply in relation to carbon storage information and carbon storage samples — a held by, or on behalf of, a licensee immediately before these Regulations come into force, or b acquired or created by, or on behalf of, a licensee on or after the day on which these Regulations come into force. 5 But nothing in these Regulations applies in relation to any carbon storage information or carbon storage samples at any time when— a an information and samples plan dealing with the information or samples has effect; b the information or samples are required to be retained in accordance with any provision included in a storage permit in accordance with regulation 8 of, and Schedule 2 to, the CS Licensing Regulations 2010 . Interpretation 2 In these Regulations— “ CO 2 ” means carbon dioxide; “ the CS Licensing Regulations 2010 ” means the Storage of Carbon Dioxide (Licensing etc.) Regulations 2010 ; “ the CS Storage Directive ” means Directive 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the geological storage of carbon dioxide ; “ fluid ” means— a gas, a liquid or vapours, or a mixture of those things; “ injection ” means injection of CO 2 , or any other fluid, into a storage site; “ OGA notice ” means a notice under section 112 of the Energy Act 2023 (power of OGA to require information and samples); “ storage site ” has the meaning given by Article 3 of the CS Storage Directive ; “ well ” includes borehole. Retention of carbon storage information by licensees 3 1 A licensee must retain the following carbon storage information— a the survey information, b the well information, c the site information, d the injection and production information, e the monitoring information, and f the installation information. 2 The Schedule makes further provision about that carbon storage information. 3 The licensee must retain the information until a relevant event occurs in relation to that information. 4 A “relevant event” occurs in relation to carbon storage information if that information— a is provided to the OGA in accordance with an OGA notice, b is provided to the OGA in accordance with any requirement imposed by or under regulation 8 of, and Schedule 2 to, the CS Licensing Regulations 2010 , or c is included in the register maintained under section 29 (1) of the Energy Act 2008 . Retention of carbon storage samples by licensees 4 1 A licensee must retain— a any portion of a relevant sample which is not provided to the OGA in accordance with— i an OGA notice, or ii any requirement included in a storage permit in accordance with regulation 8 of, and Schedule 2 to, the CS Licensing Regulations 2010 , and b if a drill cuttings sample or fluid sample exceeded the maximum quantity when acquired, any portion of the maximum quantity of the sample which is not provided to the OGA in accordance with such a notice or such a requirement, and each such portion is referred to in this regulation as a “licensee portion”. 2 The licensee must retain a licensee portion until the end of the period of six months beginning with the day on which the licensee gives a disposal intention notice to the OGA in respect of that portion. 3 Subject to paragraph (4) , where a licensee portion is of a solid sample, the licensee may not give the OGA a disposal intention notice in respect of that portion more than six months before the later of— a the last day of the post-completion period (“the post completion day”) for the relevant well, and b the last day of the post-closure period (“the post closure day”) for the well. 4 Where the post closure day for a relevant well is later than the post completion day for that well, the licensee may, with the consent of the OGA, give the OGA a disposal intention notice on an early notification date in respect of a licensee portion of a solid sample acquired from that well. 5 For the purposes of paragraph (4) , an early notification date is a day which is— a before the post closure day for the relevant well, but b at least six months after the post completion day for the well. 6 For the purposes of this regulation — a a “relevant sample” is a carbon storage sample acquired by, or on behalf of, a licensee— i during the drilling of a well, or ii in the course of carrying out activities for one or more of the purposes specified in paragraph 2 (3) of Schedule 2 to the CS Licensing Regulations 2010 ; b a “drill cuttings sample” is a relevant sample which is of fragments of strata acquired during the drilling of a well; c a “fluid sample” is a relevant sample which is of a fluid; d the “maximum quantity”— i for a drill cutting sample, is 100 grammes; ii for a fluid sample, is one litre; e a “solid sample” is a relevant sample other than a fluid sample; f “ disposal intention notice ” means a notice of a licensee’s intention to dispose of a licensee portion; g “ relevant well ” means the well from which a relevant sample is acquired; h “the post-completion period” for a relevant well is the period of 10 years beginning with the day on which all work necessary to bring the well into operation is completed; i “the post-closure period” for a relevant well is the period— i beginning with the day on which the storage site in which the well is situated closes, and ii ending at the end of the day on which the carbon storage licence for that site terminates. Termination of rights under a carbon storage licence 5 1 Where a relevant licence event occurs in respect of a licence, the requirements imposed by these Regulations continue to apply to the responsible person until the end of the agreement period but with the modifications specified in paragraph (2) . 2 The modifications mentioned in paragraph (1) are— a any reference to a licensee is to be read as including a reference to the responsible person; b regulation 3 has effect as if in paragraph (3) , for “a relevant event” to the end, there were substituted “the relevant information and samples plan has effect” ; c regulation 4 has effect as if— i in paragraph (2) , for “the end of the period” to the end, there were substituted “the relevant information and samples plan has effect” , and ii paragraphs (3) to (6) were omitted. 3 For the purposes of this regulation — a “ relevant licence event ” means an event mentioned in section 109 (1) (c) , (d) , (e) , (f) or (g) of the Energy Act 2023 ; b the “agreement period” is the period— i beginning with the relevant licence event, and ii ending when the relevant information and samples plan has effect; c “ the relevant information and samples plan ” means the information and samples plan dealing with— i the carbon storage information held by the responsible person before the relevant licence event, and ii the carbon storage samples held by that person before the event. Sarah Jones Minister of State 17th April 2025 Department for Energy Security and Net Zero