EN Official Journal of the European Union C 252/14

Communication from the French Government 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 (1)

(Notice regarding an application to prospect for oil and gas designated the ‘Bleue Lorraine Nord Licence’)

(Text with EEA relevance)

2009/C 252/06

On 22 September 2008 European Gas Limited, a company with its registered offices at 7-10 Chandos Street, Cavendish Square, London W1G 9DQ, UNITED KINGDOM, applied for an exclusive five-year licence designated the ‘Bleue Lorraine Nord Licence’ to prospect for oil and gas in an area of around 360 km2 covering part of the Moselle Department.

The perimeter of the area covered by this licence is circumscribed by the meridian and parallel arcs successively linking the points defined below by their geographical coordinates in grads (NTF (Nouvelle Triangulation de la France), Paris meridian):

Points Longitude in grads Longitude in grads A 4,70 gr E 54,80 gr N B 4,70 gr E 54,60 gr N C 4,90 gr E 54,60 gr N D 4,90 gr E 54,50 gr N E 5,00 gr E 54,50 gr N F 5,00 gr E 54,60 gr N G 5,20 gr E 54,60 gr N

Point H: Intersection of the meridian 5,20 gr E with the border between France and Germany

Point I: Intersection of the parallel 54,80 gr N with the border between France and Germany

Point I to H: Border between France and Germany

Submission of applications and criteria for awarding rights

The initial applicants and competing applicants must meet the requirements specified in Articles 4 and 5 of Decree No 2006-648 of 2 June 2006 concerning mining rights and underground storage rights (Journal officiel de la République française of 3 June 2006).

Interested companies may, within 90 days of the publication of this notice, submit a competing application in accordance with the procedure summarised in the ‘Notice regarding the granting of mining rights for hydrocarbons in France’, published in Official Journal of the European Communities C 374 of 30 December 1994, p. 11, and established by Decree No 2006-648 concerning mining rights and underground storage rights. Competing applications must be sent to the Minister responsible for mines at the address below.

The decisions on the initial application and competing applications will be based on the criteria governing the award of mining rights as set out in Article 6 of the abovementioned Decree and will be taken by 1 October 2010 at the latest.

Conditions and requirements regarding performance of the activity and cessation thereof

Applicants are referred to Articles 79 and 79.1 of the Mining Code and to Decree No 2006-649 of 2 June 2006 on mining and underground storage operations and the regulations governing mining and underground storage (Journal officiel de la République française of 3 June 2006).

Further information can be obtained from the following address: Ministère de l’écologie, de l’énergie, du développement durable et de la mer, en charge des technologies vertes et des négociations sur le climat (Direction générale de l'énergie et climat, Direction de l'énergie, Sous-direction de la sécurité d'approvisionnement et des nouveaux produits énergétiques, bureau exploration-production des hydrocarbures), Arche de La Défense Paroi Nord, 92055 La Défense Cedex, FRANCE (tel +33 140819537, fax +33 140819529).

The abovementioned laws and regulations can be consulted at: Légifrance (http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr).

(1) OJ L 164, 30.6.1994.