Mascher, SharonOwusu, Emmanuel Kofi2014-05-262014-11-172014-05-262014http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1557Operational pollution from offshore oil and gas exploration and production has become a major environmental problem for governments. Regulators have adopted either prescriptive or performance-based regulation to address this problem. This thesis examines both approaches and argues that performance-based regulation is best suited for the purpose of regulating operational pollution. The thesis further identifies essential elements of effective performance-based regulation and identifies the key elements in the Norwegian regime for regulating offshore operational pollution including: the use of performance-based regulation; comprehensive legislative arrangement; and a regulator with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. The thesis then explores the extent to which these elements identified are present in the Ghanaian regime to regulate operational pollution. The thesis concludes by recommending a transfer of the key elements from Norway to Ghana to ensure that an effective regime is in place for regulating operational pollution from the offshore oil and gas industry going forward.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.LawPrescriptive-Based RegulationPerformance-Based RegulationOffshore Oil and Gas RegulaationEnvironmental RegulationGhanaNorwaymaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/27588