Glossary
Browse the IADC Lexicon alphabetically or by category. Get comprehensive definitions of drilling industry terms.
Warships
Definition(s)
Warships <Definition of warships>
For the purpose of this Convention, 'warship' means a ship belonging to the armed forces of a State bearing the external marks distinguishing such ships of its nationality, under the command of an officer duly commissioned by the government of the State and whose name appears in the appropriate service list or its equivalent, and manned by a crew which is under regular armed forces discipline. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationUnauthorized Broadcasting
Definition(s)
Unauthorized Broadcasting <Unauthorized broadcasting from the high seas>
For the purposes of this Convention, 'unauthorized broadcasting' means the transmission of sound radio or television broadcasts from a ship or installation on the high seas intended-for reception by the general public contrary to international regulations, but excluding the transmission of distress calls. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationTransit Passage
Definition(s)
Transit Passage <Right of transit passage>
Transit passage means the exercise in accordance with this Part of the freedom of navigation and overflight solely for the purpose of continuous and expeditious transit of the strait between one part of the high seas or an exclusive economic zone and another part of the high seas or an exclusive economic zone. However, the requirement of continuous and expeditious transit does not preclude passage through the strait for the purpose of entering, leaving or returning from a State bordering the strait, subject to the conditions of entry to that State. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationStates Parties
Definition(s)
States Parties
'States Parties' means States which have consented to be bound by this Convention and for which this Convention is in force. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationPollution of the Marine Environment
Definition(s)
Pollution of the Marine Environment
'pollution of the marine environment' means the introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine environment, including estuaries, which results or is likely to result in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources and marine life, hazards to human health, hindrance to marine activities, including fishing and other legitimate uses of the sea, impairment of quality for use of sea water and reduction of amenities. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationPirate Ship or Aircraft
Definition(s)
Pirate Ship or Aircraft
A ship or aircraft is considered a pirate ship or aircraft if it is intended by the persons in dominant control to be used for the purpose of committing one of the acts referred to in article 101. The same applies if the ship or aircraft has been used to commit any such act, so long as it remains under the control of the persons guilty of that act. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationPassage
Definition(s)
Passage <Meaning of passage>
Passage means navigation through the territorial sea for the purpose of:- traversing that sea without entering internal waters or calling at a roadstead or port facility outside internal waters; or
- proceeding to or from internal waters or a call at such roadstead or port facility.
Outer Limit of the Territorial Sea
Definition(s)
Outer Limit of the Territorial Sea
The outer limit of the territorial sea is the line every point of which is at a distance from the nearest point of the baseline equal to the breadth of the territorial sea. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationMaritime Casualty
Definition(s)
Maritime Casualty <Measures to Avoid Pollution Arising from Maritime Casualties>
For the purposes of this article, "maritime casualty" means a collision of vessels, stranding or other incident of navigation, or other occurrence on board a vessel or external to it resulting in material damage or imminent threat of material damage to a vessel or cargo. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationInternal Waters
Definition(s)
Internal Waters
Except as provided in Part IV, waters on the landward side of the baseline of the territorial sea form part of the internal waters of the state. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationInnocent Passage
Definition(s)
Innocent Passage <Meaning of Innocent Passage>
Passage is innocent so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State. Such passage shall take place in conformity with this Convention and with other rules of international law. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationGeographically Disadvantaged States
Definition(s)
Geographically Disadvantaged States <Right of geographically Disadvantaged States>
For the purposes of this Part, 'geographically disadvantaged States' means coastal States, including States bordering enclosed or semienclosed seas, whose geographical situation makes them dependent upon the exploitation of the living resources of the exclusive economic zones of other States in the subregion or region for adequate supplies of fish for the nutritional purposes of their populations or parts thereof, and coastal States which can claim no exclusive economic zones of their own. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationFreedom of the High Seas
Definition(s)
Freedom of the High Seas
The high seas are open to all States, whether coastal or land locked. Freedom of the high seas is exercised under the conditions laid down by this Convention and by other rules of international law. It comprises, inter alia, both for coastal and land-locked States:- freedom of navigation;
- freedom of overflight;
- freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines, subject to Part VI;
- freedom to construct artificial islands and other installations permitted under international law, subject to Part VI;
- freedom of fishing, subject to the conditions laid down in section 2;
- freedom of scientific research, subject to Parts VI and XIII.
Exclusive Economic Zone
Definition(s)
Exclusive Economic Zone
The exclusive economic zone is an area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea, subject to the specific legal regime established in this Part, under which the rights and jurisdiction of the coastal State and the rights and freedoms of other States are governed by the relevant provisions of this Convention Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationExclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive economic zone means the exclusive economic zone as defined by article 55 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Source: IMO Resolution MSC.255(84), Code of the International Standards and Recommended Practices for a Safety Investigation into a Marine Casualty or Marine Incident (Casualty Investigation Code), 16 May 2008, International Maritime Organization. Regulatory GuidanceEnclosed or Semi-enclosed Sea
Definition(s)
Enclosed or Semi-enclosed Sea
For the purposes of this Convention, 'enclosed or semi-enclosed sea' means a gulf, basin or sea surrounded by two or more States and connected to another sea or the ocean by a narrow outlet or consisting entirely or primarily of the territorial seas and exclusive economic zones of two or more coastal States. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationContinental Margin
Definition(s)
Continental Margin
The continental margin comprises the submerged prolongation of the land mass of the coastal State, and consists of the sea-bed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope and the rise. It does not include the deep ocean floor with its oceanic ridges or the subsoil thereof. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. LegislationBay
Definition(s)
Bay
For the purposes of this Convention, a bay is a well-marked indentation whose penetration is in such proportion to the width of its mouth as to contain land-locked waters and constitute more than a mere curvature of the coast. An indentation shall not, however, be regarded as a bay unless its area is as large as, or larger than, that of the semi-circle whose diameter is a line drawn across the mouth of that indentation. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, LegislationBay
For the purposes of this paragraph, “bay” includes harbour, port, cove, sound, channel, basin or other inlet. Source: Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act, S.C. 1988, c. 28, Canada, current to May 26, 2013. LegislationArchipelago
Definition(s)
Archipelago
Aarchipelago' means a group of islands, including parts of islands, interconnecting waters and other natural features which are so closely interrelated that such islands, waters and other natural features form an intrinsic geographical, economic and political entity, or which historically have been regarded as such. Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, LegislationArchipelagic Sea Lanes Passage
Definition(s)
Archipelagic Sea Lanes Passage <Right of Archipelagic Sea Lanes Passage>
Archipelagic sea lanes passage means the exercise in accordance with this Convention of the rights of navigation and overflight in the normal mode solely for the purpose of continuous, expeditious and unobstructed transit between one part of the high seas or an exclusive economic zone and another part of the high seas or an exclusive economic zone. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, LegislationArchipelagic State
Definition(s)
Archipelagic State
'Archipelagic State' means a State constituted wholly by one or more archipelagos and may include other islands Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, LegislationActivities in The Area
Definition(s)
Activities in The Area
'Activities in the Area' means all activities of exploration for, and exploitation of, the resources of the Area Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, LegislationAuthority
Definition(s)
Authority
A person with appropriate competence who is formally granted the power to make judgements and take decisions on technical or resource issues within a defined scope. Source: IOGP Report No. 510, Operating Management System Framework for controlling risk and delivering high performance in the oil and gas industry, International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, June 2014. Global StandardsAuthority
'Authority' means the International Sea-Bed Authority Source: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, LegislationArea
Definition(s)
Area
Subset of a site’s physical, geographic, or logical group of assets.- NOTE: An area may contain manufacturing lines, process cells, and production units. Areas may be connected to each other by a site local area network and may contain systems related to the operations performed in that area.