Communication from the French Government concerning 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(1)

(2002/C 74/04)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Notice regarding an application for an exclusive licence to prospect for oil and gas, designated as "Permis de Concorde".

By request of 28 July 2001, which was subsequently corrected on 10 October 2001, RSM Production Corporation, with registered offices at 5000 South Quebec Street, Suite 500, Denver, Colorado 80237 (US), asked for an exclusive five-year licence to prospect for oil and gas, designated as "Permis de Concorde", covering an area of around 17000 km2 of seabed off the overseas department of Guadeloupe.

The perimeter of this licence is delimited by the following points:

Vertex A= Point at which the boundary of the French western exclusive economic zone intersects the dividing line between the French and British continental shelves of the island of Montserrat.

Vertex B= Point at which the dividing line between the French and British continental shelves of the island of Montserrat intersects the dividing line between the French and British continental shelves of the island of Antigua, to be determined.

Vertex C= The point at which the dividing line between the French and British continental shelves of the island of Antigua, to be determined, intersects meridian 62° 02' 11" west.

Vertex D= Longitude: 61° 02' 11", Latitude: 16° 35' 39".

Vertex E= Longitude: 60° 29' 06", Latitude: 16° 35' 39".

Vertex F= The point at which meridian 60° 29' 06" west intersects the dividing line between the French and Dominican continental shelves.

Vertex G= The point at which the dividing line between the French and Dominican continental shelves intersects the boundary of the French western exclusive economic zone.

A to B= Dividing line between France and the United Kingdom (island of Montserrat).

B to C= Dividing line between France and the United Kingdom (island of Antigua), to be determined.

The meridian and parallel arcs successively join vertices C to F defined above by their geographical coordinates, the prime meridian being that of Greenwich.

F to G= Dividing line between France and Dominica.

G to A= Boundary of the French western exclusive economic zone.

The following are excluded from this area: Guadeloupe, Les Saintes, Marie Galante, Petite Terre and La Désirade as well as the zones situated up to the 12 sea-mile limit off the coasts of those islands.

Interested companies may submit a competing application within a period of 90 days from publication of this notice in accordance with the procedure summarised in the "Notice regarding the granting of mining rights for hydrocarbons in France", as published in Official Journal of the European Communities C 374 of 30 December 1994, p. 11, and established by Decree 95-427 of 19 April 1995 regarding mining rights (Journal officiel de la République française of 22 April 1995).

Additional information can be obtained from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Finance and Industry (Ministère de l'économie, des finances et de l'industrie, direction générale de l'énergie et des matières premières, direction des ressources énergétiques et minérales, SD4, bureau de la législation minière), 61 boulevard Vincent-Auriol, Télédoc 133, F-75703 Paris Cedex 13, (tel. (33-1) 44 97 02 30, fax (33-1) 44 97 05 70).

(1) OJ L 164, 30.6.1994, p. 3.