The Conflict Between the Establishment and Operation of Offshore Installations, Navigation and Other Uses of the Sea in International Law: Part 1

There are now over 6,300 offshore field developments in over 115 countries worldwide. Thousands of oil platforms and exploration drilling rigs are used in those field developments. The erection of various types of offshore installations for the purpose of theexploration and exploitation of oil and gas may interfere with navigation, fishing and other traditional uses of the sea. These activities have been regulated by a number of international treaties.The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC) addresses different activities at sea, including offshore oil production, navigation, fishing, overflight, telecommunication/oceanography, marine archaeology, naval and air force operations, deep sea mining and marine scientific research....It is intended in this article to analyse the practical conflicts, from an international law perspective, between offshore installations for the purpose of the exploration and exploitation of natural resources of the sea, fisheries and other uses of the sea. Certainareas of conflict, such as pollution from offshore oil rigs, safety zones, and the removal of installations, are not covered in this article. The conflict between fishing and the freedom of navigation is not covered in this article as it is outside the scope of this study.