Notice from the Government of the Republic of Poland concerning Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons

(2020/C 369/08)

NOTICE OF CONCESSION APPLICATION FOR THE PROSPECTION AND EXPLORATION OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS AND THE EXTRACTION OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS

SECTION I: LEGAL BASIS

1. Article 49ec(2) of the Geological and Mining Law Act of 9 June 2011 (Journal of Laws ( Dziennik Ustaw ) 2020, item 1064, as amended)

2. 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, p. 3 ; Special edition in Polish: Chapter 6, Volume 2, p. 262)

SECTION II: ENTITY INVITING BIDS

Name: Ministry of the Environment Postal address: ul. Wawelska 52/54 00-922 Warsaw POLAND

Tel. +48 223692449

Fax +48 223692460

Website: www.gov.pl/web/srodowisko

SECTION III: SUBJECT OF THE PROCEDURE

1) Information on the submission of concession applications

A concession application for the prospection and exploration of oil and natural gas deposits and the extraction of oil and natural gas in the ‘Żarówka’ area has been submitted to the concession authority.

2) Type of activities for which the concession is to be granted

Concession for the prospection and exploration of oil and natural gas deposits and the extraction of oil and natural gas in the ‘Żarówka’ area, parts of concession blocks Nos 374, 375, 394, 395 and 415.

3) Area within which the activities are to be conducted

The boundaries of the area are defined by lines joining points with the following coordinates in the PL-1992 coordinate system:

No X [PL-1992] Y [PL-1992] 1 270 540,043 672 311,742 2 249 443,453 672 878,103 3 245 290,899 669 473,151 4 240 958,636 665 921,830 5 237 577,757 665 495,763 6 237 410,575 650 413,455 7 239 417,422 650 357,023 8 238 508,655 648 788,837 9 243 613,841 646 403,423 10 249 610,064 642 378,845 11 272 901,839 642 324,883 12 275 644,856 655 439,420 13 281 714,994 660 677,582 14 281 732,174 663 835,806 15 277 531,651 670 376,646 16 271 201,938 670 339,108

with the exception of areas Nos 1-3, bounded by lines joining the following coordinates:

area No 1: No X [PL-1992] Y [PL-1992] 1 253 717,84 659 764,02 2 251 939,39 662 811,64 3 250 457,41 663 851,33 4 249 458,27 663 878,05 5 249 431,37 662 878,69 6 250 913,54 661 839,11 7 252 329,78 659 091,17

area No 2: No X [PL-1992] Y [PL-1992] 1 243 841,27 652 408,86 2 243 704,28 652 859,09 3 242 160,78 653 402,84 4 241 942,54 652 079,84 5 242 104,56 650 665,63 6 242 538,42 650 063,90 7 242 988,25 650 051,86

area No 3: No X [PL-1992] Y [PL-1992] 1 239 836 658 121 2 239 517 658 892 3 240 337 660 407 4 240 349 661 365 5 239 838 661 533 6 239 595 660 944 7 238 995 661 013 8 238 365 660 292 9 238 360 660 175 10 238 425 659 983 11 239 673 660 009 12 239 103 658 799 13 239 277 658 137

The surface area of the vertical projection of the area is 1 072,40 km2.

Administrative location:

Małopolskie Province;

Dąbrowa District: rural municipalities of Mędrzechów, Radgoszcz and Olesno; urban-rural municipalities of Szczucin and Dąbrowa Tarnowska;

Tarnów District: rural municipalities of Lisia Góra, Tarnów and Skrzyszów;

Podkarpackie Province;

Mielec District: rural municipalities of Borowa, Czermin, Wadowice Górne and Mielec; urban-rural municipalities of Radomyśl Wielki and Przecław;

Dębica District: rural municipalities of Żyraków and Czarna; urban-rural municipality of Pilzno.

4) Deadline for the submission of concession applications by other entities interested in the activity for which the concession is to be granted, not less than 90 days from the date of publication of the notice in the Official Journal of the European Union

Concession applications must be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment no later than 12:00 noon (CET/CEST) on the last day of the 180-day period commencing on the day following the date of publication of the notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.

5) Assessment criteria for concession applications and specification of their weighting, set with due regard to Article 49k(1), (1a) and (3) of the Geological and Mining Law Act

Applications received will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

30 % — scope and schedule of the geological works, including geological operations, or mining operations proposed;

20 % — scope and schedule of the mandatory collection of samples obtained during geological operations, including drill cores;

20 % — financial capacities offering an adequate guarantee that activities relating to, respectively, the prospection and exploration of hydrocarbon deposits and the extraction of hydrocarbons will be carried out, and in particular the sources and methods of financing the intended activities, including the share of own funds and external financing;

20 % — the proposed technology for conducting geological works, including geological operations, or mining operations;

5 % — technical capacities for, respectively, the prospection and exploration of hydrocarbon deposits and the extraction of hydrocarbons, and in particular the availability of appropriate technical, organisational, logistical and human resources potential (including 2 % for the scope of collaboration, with regard to the development and implementation of innovative solutions for the prospection, exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons, with scientific bodies active in research into the geology of Poland and analytical tools, technologies and methods for prospecting hydrocarbon deposits that take account of the specificity of Polish geological conditions and that may be applied in those conditions, included in the list of scientific bodies referred to in Article 49k(1) of the Geological and Mining Law Act);

5 % — experience in the prospection and exploration of hydrocarbon deposits or the extraction of hydrocarbons, ensuring safe operation, the protection of human and animal life and health, and environmental protection.

If, following the evaluation of applications on the basis of the criteria specified above, two or more bids obtain the same score, the amount of the fee for the establishment of mining usufruct rights due during the prospection and exploration phase will be used as an additional criterion allowing a final choice to be made between the bids concerned.

SECTION IV: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

IV.1) Applications should be sent to the following address:

Ministerstwo Środowiska [Ministry of the Environment] Departament Geologii i Koncesji Geologicznych [Geology and Geological Concessions Department] ul. Wawelska 52/54 00-922 Warsaw POLAND

IV.2) Information may be obtained from:

— the website of the Ministry of the Environment: https://www.gov.pl/web/srodowisko

— the Geology and Geological Concessions Department Ministry of the Environment ul. Wawelska 52/54 00-922 Warsaw POLAND Tel. +48 225792449 Fax +48 225792460 Email: sekretariat.dgk@srodowisko.gov.pl

IV.3) Qualification decision:

Concession applications may be submitted by entities in respect of which a decision has been issued confirming the positive outcome of a qualification procedure, as provided for in Article 49a(17) of the Geological and Mining Law Act.

IV.4) Minimum fee for establishing mining usufruct rights:

The minimum amount of the fee for establishing mining usufruct rights for the ‘Żarówka’ area during the five-year base period of the prospection and exploration phase is PLN 245 740,46 (two hundred and forty-five thousand, seven hundred and forty zlotys, forty-six grosz) per annum. The annual fee for establishing mining usufruct rights for the purpose of the prospection and exploration of minerals is indexed to average annual consumer price indices set cumulatively for the period from the conclusion of the agreement until the year preceding the date for payment of the fee, as announced by the President of the Central Statistical Office in the Monitor Polski (Official Gazette).

IV.5) Granting of the concessions and establishment of mining usufruct

The concession authority, having obtained the opinions or agreements required under the Geological and Mining Law Act, will grant concessions for the prospection and exploration of hydrocarbon deposits and the extraction of hydrocarbons:

1) to the entity whose concession application has been awarded the highest score, or

2) where a concession application submitted jointly by several entities is awarded the highest score, to the parties to the cooperation agreement – once that agreement has been submitted to the concession authority — and, at the same time, will not grant concessions to other entities (Article 49ee(1) of the Geological and Mining Law Act).

The concession authority will conclude a mining usufruct contract with the entity whose concession application has been awarded the highest score and, where a concession application submitted jointly by several entities is awarded the highest score, with all entities which submitted the joint application (Article 49ee(2) of the Geological and Mining Law Act). In order to be able to carry out activities involving the prospection and exploration of hydrocarbon deposits and the extraction of hydrocarbons in Poland, an operator must hold both mining usufruct rights and a concession.

IV.6) Requirements to be met by concession applications and documents required from applicants:

Article 49eb of the Geological and Mining Law Act specifies the component parts of the concession application.

The geological age of the formations where geological works will be carried out (geological purpose) should be indicated as the purpose of the works, including geological operations.

IV.7) Minimum deposit exploration category:

Category C is the minimum exploration category for oil and natural gas deposits in the ‘Żarówka’ area.