Oil and Gas Directorate consults on use of digital signatures

The UK Government has set the target of making all government services available electronically by 2005. The Licensing and Consents Unit of the DTI Oil and Gas Directorate (OG) intends to implement this target in its own area using the UK Oil Portal (http://www.og.dti.gov.uk/portal.htm). This internet site will be used to issue all consents and approvals for operations of the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) and also for all monitoring returns to the Government. This will require authentication of communications in and out of the UK Oil Portal and in a number of associated electronic transactions. OG is currently consulting with the industry on this matter.

The aim of moving to electronic business processing is not only to speed up the process from application to approval but also significantly to reduce the need for physical storage and handling of paper. The potential gains have been demonstrated by the current Well Operations Notification System (WONS) and production reporting systems, already operating through the UK Oil Portal, which is already delivering real efficiency benefits to both industry and Government. The next developments are chemical notifications for wells and environmental consents for wells, pipelines, platforms and seismic surveys. In addition, OG is aware that most of the major oil companies have plans to develop digital signature-based authentication procedures or are already doing so, for use in the supply chain and to communicate sensitive information to joint venture partners. It sees an opportunity to develop sensible protocols and procedures across the industry.

Digital signatures will be an essential part of the new process. A digital signature is something associated with an electronic document that performs a similar function to a manual signature. It is used for two important reasons:

• for authenticity - it can give the recipient confirmation that the communication comes from where it purports to come from;
• for integrity - it can demonstrate that the communication has not been tampered with.

Digital Signatures do not necessarily prove the identity of the person who created the electronic signature. More reliable information on the identity of the signer can be obtained if a Trusted Service Provider (TSP) has certified the signature.

OG is establishing a technical infrastructure to deliver, accept and store signed emails and documents for the decommissioning and environmental systems in a secure and confidential way which satisfies the necessary standards for legal admissibility (known as PD 0008:1999). It is proposed that this will be available in late 2003, although there will be a transitional period of perhaps a year during which it will still be possible to submit consents in hard copy. The main outline of the proposed new procedure is as follows:

At OG

• All applications and related subsequent submissions will be electronic and deployed through the UK Oil Portal authenticated by a digital signature.
• Final consents and notices - the "digital documents" will be sent and signed electronically from the UK Oil on behalf of the Secretary of State.
• There will be no hard copy of these produced by OG.
• The "digital documents" will be held in an approved document management system.
• The "digital documents" held by the DTI will be regarded as the master set.
• Access to the master "digital documents" will be provided to Oil Companies at any time.

At Oil Company

• Oil companies will assign digital signatures to sections involved in Environmental and Decommissioning consents and approvals.
• All communication will be electronic.
• Final consents and notices will be received in electronic form, digitally signed.
• The digitally signed documents may be stored internally.

OG is inviting comments on issues including the deployment process, timetable, rules for interoperability of signatures and certificates, use of TSPs and minimum IT requirements.

The consultation is open until 26 February 2003 and copies of the consultation paper can be obtained from the OG website at http://www.og.dti.gov.uk

For further information on the legal issues surrounding digital signatures, please contact Judith Aldersey-Williams at [email protected] or on +44 (0)1224 622002.