The NSTA (North Sea Transition Authority) are making an important change to our payment process in order to streamline operations and continue delivering an improved service.

What’s Changing?

From Tuesday 1 October 2024, we will no longer accept deferred payments on the UK Energy Portal for PEARS (Petroleum Licensing e-Business Assignment and Relinquishment System), LARRY (Licence Applications Repository), and WONS (Well Operations Notifications System). Instead, all payments must be made at the application submission stage using card payments. This change is designed to enhance efficiency within our finance department, reduce resource burdens, and ensure a better service to industry.

What You Need to Do

Update and adjust your Payment Process to ensure timely payments at the point of submission.  We recommend planning ahead to avoid issues such as exceeding card limits to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible.

Please review the Q&As (below) where we have addressed some of the frequently asked questions.

If you have any further questions, please contact our Accounts Receivable Team (accountsreceivable@nstauthority.co.uk).

 

Questions

  

Answers

My company does not have a credit card

  

All limited company can apply for a corporate credit card. Please speak with your bank.

My company does not have a debit card

  

Any business, regardless of size, can have a corporate debit card. Please speak with your bank.

We do not have the credit limit to make this payment

  

Increasing your credit card limit can be straightforward, but it depends on the card issuer and your financial situation. Please speak with your card provider.

I have an application in process, will this affect my payment options?

  

Applications that have not yet reached the payment stage by the 1st October, will only accept card payments.

I have multiple applications to submit, how can I do this?

  

Plan effectively to stagger applications in order to not miss deadlines or exceed card limits. You can also speak with your card provider to increase your limit.

Will I get a receipt/invoice?

  

The UK Energy Portal will provide a Request for Payment which can be treated as an invoice and used as supporting documentation.

I do not hold a company card; only our finance team do.

  

We recommend you plan ahead to involve your finance team so they can work alongside you during the payment or provide them access to the Portal.

How can the finance team access the Energy Portal?

  

Use the "Register for a portal account" option from the Login page (here)(Your application owner will need to provide your access to the applications for payments)

Will my application be reviewed whilst payment is due?

  

No, Applications have to be submitted and paid for before they can be reviewed.

What happens if the payment system is not working?

  

Please contact the Service desk (ukop@nstauthority.co.uk) for assistance.