Pursuant to the July 6, 1993 Petroleum Law and the June 9, 2000 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Petroleum Law;
Article 1.- This Decree prescribes the measures and responsibilities of the agencies, organizations and individuals for protection of petroleum security and safety.
Article 2.- This Decree governs petroleum activities and petroleum projects, means as well as equipment of Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation and its partners, including: prospection, exploration and development of oil fields, exploitation, transportation, storing, processing, technical services, scientific research conducted on the mainland, islands, in the inland water, the territorial waters, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
1. Organizations and individuals that have no responsibility are strictly forbidden to encroach upon, or carry out activities in any form in, the safety zone of offshore petroleum projects, except for special cases permitted by the Prime Minister.
2. The width of the safety zone of an offshore petroleum project is 500 m outwards calculated from the outermost edge of the project or from the anchoring position for floating means.
3. Within two nautical miles calculated from the outermost edge of an offshore petroleum project, means, boats and ships that have no responsibility must not be anchored.
4. The co-ordinates of the safety zones surrounding offshore petroleum activities or projects shall be announced by the Vietnamese maritime security authority at the proposal of Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.
Chapter IV
STATE MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MINISTRIES, BRANCHES AND PEOPLE�S COMMITTEES AT ALL LEVELS FOR PETROLEUM SECURITY AND SAFETY PROTECTION
Article 19.- The Government exercises the uniform State management over the petroleum security and safety protection. The ministries and branches shall perform their State management function of protecting petroleum security and safety according to their respective tasks and powers.
Article 20.- The Ministry of Public Security shall have the responsibility to:
1. Draft and submit to the Government or the Prime Minister for promulgation or promulgate according to its competence legal documents guiding the implementation of this Decree and the regulations on the handling of administrative violations in petroleum activities;
2. Direct the concerned police units to guide and coordinate with Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation in organizing the work of preventing, detecting, stopping and handling acts of violating the legislation on the petroleum security and safety protection;
3. Guide and direct Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation and concerned branches to perform the work of preventing and fighting explosions and fires and unsafe conditions in petroleum activities; deploy forces and coordinate in rendering timely aid and rescue when explosions, fires or incidents occur at petroleum projects;
4. Direct and coordinate with Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation in building up mass movements to safeguard the Fatherland�s security and organize security forces at units and establishments engaged in petroleum activities and at petroleum projects.
Article 21.- The Ministry of Defense shall have the responsibility to:
1. Direct its attached functional forces to coordinate with the police force and Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation in protecting security and safety for petroleum activities and projects; participate in patrolling, inspecting, controlling activities, seize people and means and handle according to its competence acts of infringing upon petroleum security and safety; join activities of searching, salvaging, overcoming incidents, and protecting the environment;
2. Guide and coordinate with Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation in making plans for protecting key offshore petroleum projects.
Article 22.- Depending on the nature and requirement of the work of protecting a number of petroleum projects inland or offshore, at the proposal of Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Defense shall organize forces to protect petroleum security and safety. The organization of, and forms of participation in, these protection activities shall be guided by the Minister of Public Security and the Minister of Defense in a joint circular.
Article 23.- The Ministry of Aquatic Resources and the People�s Committees of the coastal provinces shall direct the provincial/municipal Aquatic Resource Services and the Aquatic Resource Protection Sub-Departments to coordinate with the border guard and the marine police forces in organizing propaganda and education for fishermen to understand the regulations on the petroleum security and safety protection, and disallow ships and boats having no responsibility to encroach upon the safety zones of the petroleum projects.
Article 24.- The Ministry of Communications and Transport, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, the Ministry of Aquatic Resources, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the National Committee for Search and Rescue and the provincial People�s Committees shall elaborate plans on mobilization of people, means and supplies for coordinated participation in providing aid and rescue, dealing with incidents, fires, explosions and accidents occurring in petroleum activities and on petroleum projects, means and equipment in the geographical areas under their respective management.
Article 25.- Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall have the responsibility to:
1. Build up mass movements to protect the Fatherland�s security at its agencies and enterprises; perform the work of protecting internal security in its agencies and enterprises; protect the State�s assets; prevent and combat crimes of all types, and prevent incidents, fires, explosions and accidents;
2. Coordinate with the ministries, branches, local administrations where petroleum activities are carried out in educating citizens to participate in the protection of petroleum security and safety;
3. Build up the full-time and part-time security and safety forces according to law provisions so as to provide timely aid and rescue when incidents occur, and equip them with adequate necessary means so that they can fulfill the tasks of protecting petroleum security and safety;
4. Assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned ministries, branches and localities in summing up and drawing experiences from the work of protecting petroleum security and safety; propose solutions to raise the effectiveness of the petroleum security and safety protection work suited to the practical situation and conditions.
Article 26.- The information agencies, the central and local mass media and the concerned branches shall have the responsibility to propagate and educate the observance of the regulations on the petroleum security and safety protection.
Article 27.- Organizations and individuals conducting petroleum activities and the forces responsible for participating in protecting petroleum security and safety shall have to ensure uninterrupted and timely information and communication and strictly abide by the prescribed regime of reporting on the situation and work of petroleum security and safety protection.
Chapter V
INSPECTION, REWARD AND HANDLING OF VIOLATIONS
Article 28.- The ministries and branches having the State management function in the domain of petroleum security and safety protection shall have to inspect and supervise activities of foreign and domestic organizations and individuals conducting petroleum activities in order to ensure their observance of the State�s laws and regulations on petroleum security and safety.
Article 29.- Organizations and individuals conducting petroleum activities shall submit to the inspection and supervision by the functional State bodies regarding their observance of the legislation on the petroleum security and safety protection and the relevant legislation on inspection and supervision.
Article 30.- Organizations and individuals that record achievements in petroleum security and safety protection or merits in detecting and/or stopping acts of infringing upon petroleum security and safety; limiting losses of human lives, assets and/or petroleum projects, shall be commended and/or rewarded according to law provisions.
Organizations and individuals that violate this Decree and other relevant regulations on the petroleum security and safety protection shall, depending on the nature and seriousness of their violations, be subject to administrative sanctions. Individuals who commit crime-constituting acts shall be examined for penal liability; if causing damage, they must pay compensation therefor according to law provisions.
Chapter VI
IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS
Article 31.- This Decree takes effect 15 days after its signing. The Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Defense and the concerned State management bodies shall have to guide the implementation of this Decree within the scope of their respective functions and powers.
Article 32.- The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government, the presidents of the People�s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities, the chairman of the Managing and the general director of Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall have to implement this Decree.
On behalf of the Government
Prime Minister
PHAN VAN KHAI