mining_block partition_ncp

Oil and gas are extracted in the North Sea. The authorisation to operate oil and gas is governed by the Mining Regulation. The Mining Scheme uses a classification of the Dutch Continental Plate (NCP), in which the NCP is divided into segments. The segments are indicated from north to south by the letters A to T. The segments are linked to the longitude and latitude. Segment A includes the part of the NCP from 55 to 56 North latitude and 3 to 4 degrees East length. The segments are divided into blocks of 10 minutes North latitude at 20 minutes Eastern length (approximately 400 km²). These blocks are indicated by the letter of the segment, supplemented by a number from 1 to 18. The location designation with the block layout of the NCP has also been found to be useful for other uses, such as sand extraction and wind energy. The block layout is also used in geological research.