Notice of the areas available for the granting of licences for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons

(2020/C 70/02)

Pursuant to Article 20 of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation Act (Narodne novine (NN; Official Gazette of the Republic of Croatia) Nos 52/2018 and 52/2019), the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy, on behalf of the Republic of Croatia, hereby publishes the following

The Government of the Republic of Croatia invites all interested persons to submit bids to obtain a licence for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in respect of the available exploration blocks in the Adriatic.

1. INFORMATION REGARDING EXPLORATION BLOCKS

The areas for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the northern Adriatic for which hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation licences are available are:

1. Exploration block SJ-02/SJ-03

2. Exploration block SJ-06/SJ-07/SrJ-09

Maps and coordinates of the exploration blocks are provided in the tender documentation.

The exploration blocks for which exploration and exploitation licenses are available have been the subject of a prior tender procedure for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons. The outcome of this procedure in respect of these blocks was either that no licence was granted for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons, or a hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation licence was granted but no contract for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons was then signed.

2. CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF BIDDERS

Under Article 2(2) of Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons (OJ L 164, 30.6.1994) in relation to national security and in accordance with Article 19 of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation Act, the criteria to be taken into consideration in order to select the most advantageous bidder are:

1. the technical, financial and professional competence of the bidder;

2. how the bidder intends to carry out the activities covered by the licence for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons;

3. the overall quality of the bid submitted;

4. the financial conditions offered by the bidder in exchange for the licence for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons; and

5. any lack of efficiency or responsibility in any form displayed by the bidder in another country when carrying out activities covered by a licence for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons.

Another criterion for selecting the bidder is the fee for entering into the contract for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons, the minimum amount of which is laid down in the decree referred to in Article 51 of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation Act.

If, following an evaluation on the basis of the criteria under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation Act, two or more bids are of equal merit, other relevant, objective and non-discriminatory criteria will be taken into account for the final decision.

3. PROCEDURE FOR SUBMITTING BIDS

Bids are to be submitted in accordance with the tender documentation published on the official website of the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency - www.azu.hr - and submitted to the Hydrocarbon Agency in accordance with the provisions of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation Act and the tender documentation.

All other relevant information and notices can be found on the Hydrocarbons Agency website - www.azu.hr.