United Kingdom Government notice concerning European Parliament and Council Directive 94/22/EC of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons
Date: 2000-01-15
Institutions: United Kingdom
Subjects: United Kingdom, exploitation of resources, extraction of oil, hydrocarbon, petroleum exploration

C 12/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

15.1.2000

United Kingdom Government notice concerning European Parliament and Council Directive
94/22/EC of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the pros-
pection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons

(2000/C 12/05)

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

THE PETROLEUM (PRODUCTION)

(LANDWARD AREAS)

REGULATIONS 1995

1. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry invites
interested persons, in accordance with the Petroleum (Pro-
duction) (Landward Areas) Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995 No
1436) and the Hydrocarbons Licensing Directive Regu-
lations 1995 (S.I. 1995 No 1434), to apply for petroleum
exploration and development
the
blocks coloured yellow on maps deposited at the Library
at the Department of Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria Street,
London, SW1H 0ET. These maps, may be inspected by prior
appointment
(telephone No (44-0207) 215 5006 or
(44-0207) 215 5007, fax No (44-0207) 215 5665) between
9.15 and 4.45 p.m. Monday to Friday until 5 May 2000.
This is the Ninth round of landward licensing.

licences in respect of

APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCES

2. In respect of all blocks referred to in point 1 above:

(a) applications should be made on a standard application
form available from the Department of Trade and
Industry; copies of the application form and all other
documents referred to in the text of this notice as being
available from the Department of Trade and Industry
may be obtained from the Licensing Branch, Oil and
Gas Directorate, Department of Trade and Industry, 1
(44-0207)
Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET (tel.
215 5111 or
(44-0207)
fax
215 5142);

(44-0207) 215 5032,

(b) applications should be delivered to the Oil and Gas
Directorate of the Department of Trade and Industry
at 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET between 9.30
a.m. and 12 noon on 5 May 2000 together with a fee of
GBP 1 000 per application. No applications will be
accepted after 12 noon on 5 May 2000;

(e) further guidance on the material with which applicants
may support their applications is given in Notes for
Applicants, available from the Department of Trade
and Industry;

(f) unless otherwise stated in the Notes for Applicants,
material supplied in support of applications will be
such material will not be
treated in confidence;
disclosed to third parties without agreement of
the
applicant, unless it is already in the public domain or
the disclosure is required by law.

3. Applications will be judged against the background of the
continuing need for expeditous, thorough, efficient and safe
exploration to identify oil and gas resources within the
mainland of Great Britain, with due regard to environmental
considerations. Applications will be judged on the basis of
the following criteria:

(a) the financial capability of the applicant to carry out the
activities that would be permitted under the licence
during the initial term including the work programme
submitted for evaluating the full potential of the area
within the block or blocks applied for;

(b) the technical capability of the applicant to carry out
activities that would be permitted under the licence
during the initial term including the identification of
hydrocarbon prospects within the block or blocks
applied for. The technical capabilities will be assessed
in part upon the quality of geological analysis related
to the block or blocks applied for, (including taking into
account whether the technical work already done or
proposed is innovative);

(c) the way in which the applicant proposes to carry out
the activities that would be permitted under the licence
including the quality of the work programme submitted
for evaluating the full potential of the area applied for;

(d) where the applicant holds or has held a licence granted
under or treated as having been granted under the
Petroleum Act 1998, any lack of efficiency and respon-
sibility displayed by the applicant in operations under
that licence.

(c) applicants are requested to indicate where possible any
preferences they have as between the blocks they have
applied for, and should indicate if any of the blocks
applied for are alternatives;

(d) applicants are required to provide details of the work
programme for the initial term which they intend to
carry out if awarded a licence (see point 7 below);

4. Following examination of all applications in respect of the
blocks referred to in paragraph 1, the Secretary of State will
select
the applicants to whom he is prepared to award
licences. If there are two or more applicants for a block
who would be equally acceptable to the Secretary of State
as licensees for that block he may suggest that the licence
should be held jointly by some or all of the applicants.
Applicants to whom the Secretary of State is prepared to
award licences will be notified within a period of six
months commencing on 5 May 2000.

15.1.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 12/9

5. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. An
applicant will be notified of the reasons for the Secretary
of State’s decision if he submits a written request for this
information to be provided.

6. In all cases where the Secretary of State is prepared to
award a licence,
it will be offered on the condition that,
within 21 days of the date on which the Secretary of State
makes the offer, the applicant

(a) confirms

in writing his
programme proposed by
following discussion with the applicant; and

acceptance of
the

Secretary of

a work
State

(b) remits

to the Secretary of State

appropriate
consideration referred to in paragraph 8(a) below for
the licence.

the

LICENCE TERM AND CONSIDERATION PAYABLE

7. Licences issued in respect of

incorporate

the blocks referred to in
in
clauses
the model
paragraph 1 will
Schedule 3 to the Petroleum (Production)
(Landward
Areas) Regulations 1995 and will have an initial term of
six years and a second term of five years. A licence may be
extended after the expiry of the second term for a further
period of twenty years.

8. The consideration required in respect of petroleum explo-
ration and development licences granted as a result of this
invitation will be:

(a) an initial payment, at the time the offer of a licence is
kilometre

each square

accepted, of GBP 25 for
comprised in the licensed area;

(b) on the first, second, third, fourth and fifth anniversaries
of the date of commencement of the licence term, the
sum of GBP 25 will be payable for each square
kilometre in the area to which the licence then relates;

(c) on the sixth and subsequent anniversaries of the date of
commencement of the licence term, payments calculated
by reference to the number of square kilometres in the
area to which the licence then relates and subject to
biennial review in line with movements in the Index
of the Price of Crude Oil Acquired by Refineries (pub-
lished in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics)
the
Further details
Secretary of State
concerning the payments due are available from the
Department of Trade and Industry.

so determines.

if

(d) a royalty at the rate of 12,5 % payable in respect of
petroleum won and saved from any field part of
which received development consent prior to 1 April
1982.

Notification of an agreement

(Case COMP/37.718 (cid:151) EBN)

(2000/C 12/06)

(Text with EEA relevance)

1.
On 30 November 1999, the Commission received notification pursuant to Articles 2 and 4 of
Council Regulation No 17 of an agreement by which France Telecom (FT), in cooperation with Global
One Communications Holding Limited (Global One UK) and local partners, is establishing a pan-European
telecommunications network (the European Backbone Network or EBN). FT and Global One UK have
already concluded relavant agreements. FT intended to conclude similar agreements with Mobistar (Bel-
gium), Casema/Dutch Tone (the Netherlands), Mobilux (Denmark) and Lince (Spain) before the end of
1999. It is expected that FT will conclude further agreements to cover other European countries. The EBN,
a backbone transmission network constructed on the basis of optic fibre dedicated rings, will link a limited
number of points of presence with high-bandwidth capacity transmission links (20 000 kilometres un
total).

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified joint venture could fall within

2.
the scope of Regulation No 17.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit

3.
proposed operation.

their possible observations on the

Observations must reach the Commission not

this
4.
publication. Observations can be sent by fax (No (32-2) 296 70 81) or by post, under reference
COMP/37.718 (cid:151) EBN, to:

later than 10 days following the date of

European Commission,
Directorate-General for Competition,
Directorate C,
Office 3/91,
Avenue de Cortenberg/Kortenberglaan 150,
B-1040 Brussels.