1. Short title, extend and commencement - This rules may be called the petroleum Rules, 1976.

(2) They shall come into force on the 1st day of August,1976.

2. Definitions. - In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, - In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, - In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, -

(i)  "act" means the Petroleum Act,1934 (30 of 1934);

(ii) "adequate"

1. in relation to ventilation, means where the concentration of the inflammable gas in a gas-air mixture does not reach the lower inflammable limit, or

2. where applied to provision of facilities for fire-fighting means the facilities so provided are in accordance with the prevalent recognized standards or codes safety;

(iii) "approved"

1. where applied to specification, means that the specification is authorized by the Chief Controller;

2. where applied to an appliance or fitting, means that the appliance or fitting bears a label of a designated test organization certifying conformity with a specification approved by the Chief Controller or with a laboratory test report accepted by the Chief Controller, or

3. where applied to any facility for petroleum means that it conforms to these rules;

(iv) "Chief Controller" means the Chief Controller of Explosives;

(v)  "Competent person" means a person recognized by the Chief Controller to
 be a competent person, or a person who holds a certificate of competency for the job in respect of which competency is required from an institution recognized by the Chief Controller in his behalf;

(vi) "" Conservator" includes any person acting under the authority of the officer or body of persons appointed to be Conservator of a port under Section 7 of the Indian Ports Act, 1908 (15 of 1908)

(vii) "container" means a receptacle for petroleum not exceeding 1,000 litres in capacity.

[(viii) "Chief Controller of Explosives, Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives" includes Joint Controller of Explosives and Deputy Controller of Explosives].

[(viii-a) "Defence Forces of the Union" includes General Reserve Engineering Forces under Director -General, Border Roads, Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force under Ministry of Home Affairs];

(ix)  " District Authority' means -

1. in towns having a Commissioner of Police, the Commissioner or a Deputy Commissioner of Policy;

2. in any other place, the District Magistrate;

(x) "District Magistrate" includes an Additional District Magistrate and in States of Punjab and Haryana and in the Karaikal, Mahe and Yeman areas of the Union Territory of Pondicherry, also includes a Sub-divisional Magistrate;

(xi) " electric apparatus" includes motor, starters, lamps, switches, junction boxes, fuses, cut-outs or any other appliance, equipment or fitting which operates electricity;

(xii) "form" means form the First Schedule;

[(xii-a) " hot work" means any work which involves welding, burning soldering, brazing and blasting, chipping by spark-producing tools, use of certain power - driven tools, non-flame prooof electrical equipment or equipment with internal combustion engines and including any other work which is likely to produce sufficient heat, capable of igniting inflammable gases];

(xiii) " inspector" means an officer authorized by the Central Governmetn under Sub-section (1) of Section 13 of the Act;

(xiv) " installation " means any premises wherein any place has been specially prepared for the storage of petroleum in bulk, but does not include a well-head tank or a service station;

(xv) "petroleum in bulk" means petroleum contained in a tank irrespective of the quantity of the petroleum contained therein;

(xvi) "protected area" means the necessary for the maintenance of the distances required under the conditions for the licence to be kept clear between any installation, service station or storage shed and any protected works:

(xvii) " protected works" include --

1. building  in which persons dwell or assemble, docks, wharves, timber and coal yards, furnace, kiln or chimney and buildings or place used for storing petroleum or for any other purpose but does not include buildings or places forming part of an installation;

2. any public road or a railway line which is used exclusively as an oil siding; and 

3. overhead high tension power lines;

(xviii) "sampling officer" means an officer authorized by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of Section 14 of the Act.

(xix) " schedule" means a schedule annexed to these rules;

(xx) "service station" means any premises specially prepared for the fuelling of motor vehicles and includes such places within the premises which have been specially approved by the licensing authority for the servicing of motor vehicles and for other purposes;

(xxi) "store shed" means building used for the storage of petroleum otherwise than in bulk, whether forming part of an installation or not, but does not include a building used for the stores for petroleum exempt from licence under Section 7,8 or 9 of the Act;

(xxii) "tank" means a receptacle for petroleum exceeding 1000 litres in capacity.

(xxiii) "tank cart" means a hand-drawn or animal-drawn vehicle equipped with a tank;

(xxiv) " tank semi-trailer' means a tank trailer constructed in such a manner that when it is drawn by a tractor by means of fifth wheel connection, some part of the load rests on the towing vehicle;

(xxv) "tank trailer' means a vehicle with a tank mounted thereon or built as integral part thereof and constructed in such a manner that it has at least two axles and all its load rests on its own wheels;

(xxvi) "tank truck" means a single self-propelled vehicle with a tank mounted thereon;

(xxvii) "tank vehicle" means any vehicle, including a tank wagon with a tank of a capacity exceeding 1000 litres mounted thereon;

(xxviii) "tank wagon" means a railway carriage with a tank mounted thereon;

(xxix) "testing officer" ,means an officer authorized by the Central Government to test petroleum under Section 17 of the Act.

(xxx) "vehicle" means all carriages, including animal -drawn carriages for the transportation of petroleum either in bulk or otherwise than in bulk;

(xxxi) "well-head tank" means a tank into which crude petroleum flowing or being pumped from an oil well is first discharged.