Petroleum Pipelines in the North Sea: Questions of Jurisdiction and Practical Solutions

Abstract

This article examines the jurisdiction of states over pipelines established outside their territory. Conflicts of jurisdiction may arise when cross-border pipelines are constructed and operated in different maritime zones. These pipelines can be divided in to several categories of which the most important are the field-to-coast and the coast-to- coast pipelines. In the North Sea these pipelines are constructed on the basis of bilateral agreements between the states directly involved. These agreements illustrate the way in which possible conflicts of jurisdiction can be dealt with.