United Kingdom Government notice concerning Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2002-01-16
Institutions: United Kingdom
Subjects: exploitation of resources, hydrocarbon, management of resources, mineral prospecting, patents licence

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Official Journal of the European Communities

16.1.2002

Invitation to submit applications for hydrocarbon prospecting licences for subsector F6b

(2002/C 12/02)

the Netherlands hereby announces that an
The Minister for Economic Affairs of
application for a hydrocarbon prospecting licence has been received for subsector F6b of sector F6, as
shown on the map in Annex I to the 1996 Regulation on Continental Shelf hydrocarbon licences (Stcrt.
93).

the Kingdom of

In accordance with Article 3(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 and the publication of the Ninth Round of applications for hydrocarbons
prospecting licences (Stcrt. 33, 1995), the Minister for Economic Affairs hereby invites interested parties to
submit applications of hydrocarbon prospecting licences for subsector F6b.

Applications may be submitted within 13 weeks for publication of this invitation in the Official Journal of
the European Communities, to the Minister for Economic Affairs marked for the personal attention of the
Director for Energy Production, Bezuidenhoutseweg 6, 2594 AV The Hague, The Netherlands. Applications
submitted after this deadline will not be taken into consideration.

A decision on the applications will be made not later than nine months after the expiry of this deadline.

For further information, please telephone (31-70) 379 66 85.

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

(2002/C 12/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

THE PETROLEUM (PRODUCTION) (SEAWARD AREAS) REGULATIONS 1988

20th OFFSHORE LICENSING ROUND

in accordance with the

1.
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry invites
Petroleum
interested persons,
(Production) (Seaward Areas) Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988 No
1213), as amended ((cid:145)the 1988 Regulations(cid:146)), and the Hydro-
carbons Licensing Directive Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995 No
1434), to apply for Petroleum Production Licences in respect
of those blocks and parts of blocks listed in the Schedule to
this notice that were not subject
to an existing petroleum
production licence on the date of this notice. The definitive
list of unlicensed blocks is shown on maps deposited at the
Department of Trade and Industry Library, where they can be
viewed by prior appointment (see below for contact details)
between 09.15 and 16.45, Monday to Friday, until 16 April
2002 (referred to below as (cid:145)the application date(cid:146)). They are
also available on the Oil and Gas Directorate’s website.

to this invitation will

Licences issued pursuant

2.
incor-
porate clauses based substantially, subject to certain modifi-
cations and additional provisions, on the Model Clauses set
(Seaward
out
the
that
Areas) Regulations 1988 (as

in Schedule 4 to the Petroleum (Production)
except

amended,

amendments to Model Clauses set out
in paragraphs (a)(ii)
and (c) to (h) of Regulation No 8 of the Petroleum (Production)
(Seaward Areas) (Amendment) Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996 No.
2946) will not apply).

3.
DTI has conducted a strategic environmental assessment
of the area, including all the blocks listed in the Schedule, to
the
standard required in Directive 2001/42/EC on the
assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on
the environment. The conclusion of the assessment was that
there are no overriding reasons why this area should not be
considered for oil and gas licensing. Details of the assessment,
and instructions for obtaining copies, may be obtained from
the website: http://www.habitats-directive.org/sea2/index.cgi

Applications for licences

4.
Applications must be made on the application form for
seaward production licences, which is available on the Oil and
Gas Directorate’s website or from the Oil and Gas Licence
Administration (see below for contact details).

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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Applications must be delivered to the Department of
5.
Trade and Industry at 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET,
United Kingdom,
together with a fee of GBP 2 820 per
application. Applications will be received between 09.30 and
13.00 on the application date. No applications will be accepted
after 13.00 on that date.

licence and send it to the successful applicant, who will then
have the option of accepting it by returning it to DTI signed by
all members of the applicant group. 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. When applying for more than one block, you should
indicate an order of preference.

The Government accepts no liability for any costs
in considering or making its

12.
incurred by the applicant
application.

The proposed operator within each applicant group
the sole applicant) must
is
its general environmental policy for

7.
(including any company that
submit a statement of
the conduct of licensed activities in seaward areas.

their

Further guidance on the material with which applicants
8.
for
may support
applicants(cid:146), available from the Licence Administration and on
the Oil and Gas Directorate’s website (see below for contact
details).

is given in (cid:145)Notes

applications

9.
Applications will be judged against the background of the
continuing need for expeditious, thorough, efficient and safe
exploration to identify oil and gas resources of the United
Kingdom continental shelf, 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

agreed initial term work programme;

(b) the technical capability of the applicant to carry out the
agreed initial term work programme, and as appropriate
any other activities permitted under the licence (taking into
account the quality of geological analysis and degree of
innovation);

(c) any lack of efficiency or responsibility displayed by the
applicant under any other
licence of any description
issued under the Petroleum Act 1998 or previous legis-
lation having similar effect.

10.
This offer is subject to further consultation by DTI on
the precise acreage to be offered, including an assessment of
the potential
impact of activities that might be carried out
under the licence on any sites that could be nominated as
candidate special areas of conservation under the Habitats
Directive (92/43/EEC) or special protection areas under the
Birds Directive (79/409/EEC). This may result in the withdrawal
of one or more of the listed blocks from this invitation, or in
the addition to licences of extra conditions beyond the Model
Clauses set out in Regulations. Any additional conditions will
be set out in any offer of a licence.

11.
Following consideration of all applications, the Secretary
of State will select the applicants to whom he is prepared to
award licences. They will be notified no later than one year
after the application date. In all cases where the Secretary of
State is prepared to award a licence, DTI will prepare a draft

Licence term and payments

Subject as below, each licence will have an initial term
13.
of four years, with options to extend for a four-year second
term and an 18-year third term.

The Licensee can exercise the option to continue the
14.
licence into the second term provided that he gives notice to
that effect not less than three months before the initial term
expires, and provided that he has first completed an agreed
work programme and surrendered part of the licensed area.
The maximum area that may be retained is:

(a) not more than half the original number of sections covered
by the licence if the licence originally covered 60 or more
sections; or

(b) 30 sections if the licence originally covered more than 30

but fewer than 60 sections.

The retained area must comply with Model Clause 8 in
Schedule 4 to the 1988 Regulations as it stood prior to the
amendments made
to it by the Petroleum (Production)
(Seaward Areas) (Amendment) Regulations 1996 and must be
described in the said notice.

A (cid:145)section(cid:146) is part of a block comprising an area bounded by
lines of longitude and latitude one minute apart respectively.

15.
All acreage covered by the Licence that is not the subject
of an approved development plan at the end of the second
term is to be relinquished at that time.

16.
Any licence granted as a result of this invitation will be
subject to payment of consideration according to provisions set
out in the Model Clauses and in Schedules to the Licence; in
summary:

(a)

four annual payments, beginning at the commencement of
the Licence, of GBP 150 for each square kilometre that it
covers;

(b) a subsequent annual payment of GBP 300 for each square
kilometre covered, rising by annual increments of GBP 900
to a maximum of GBP 7 500 per square kilometre (this
review in line with
payment
to biennial
is
movements
the price of crude oil
acquired by refineries, published in the Digest of UK
Energy Statistics); and

subject
in the index of

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Official Journal of the European Communities

16.1.2002

(c) 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.

Confidentiality

17. Material supplied in support of applications will be
treated in accordance with the Code of practice on access to
government information.

18.
Each Licence issued in this round will be subject to an
amendment to Model Clause 34 to the effect that the Secretary
of State shall be entitled to publish certain data as soon as the
Licence ceases to have effect (whether by effluxion of time,
if that happens before the end of
(cid:145)surrender(cid:146) or revocation)
the period currently specified in the Clause, which shall itself
be amended from five years to three.

Exceptions

19.
The terms, provisions, payments and other details
relating to each licence will normally be as set out above,
but the Secretary of State reserves the right to amend them
in some cases to fit particular circumstances (e.g. licences that
cover decommissioned fields).

Contact details

Licence Administration: Oil and Gas Directorate, Department
of Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET,
United Kingdom (tel.
(44-20)
72 15 50 70).

(44-20) 72 15 51 11,

fax

Department of Trade and Industry Library: 1 Victoria
Street, London SW1H 0ET, United Kingdom (tel.
(44-20)
72 15 50 06/7, fax (44-20) 72 15 56 65).

Oil and Gas Directorate’s website: www.og.dti.gov.uk

SCHEDULE

Applications are invited for those blocks and part-blocks listed
below that were not subject to an existing Seaward Production
Licence on the date of
this notice. Some blocks may be
withdrawn from this offer as a result of further consultation.
The final definitive list of the available acreage can be viewed at
the Department of Trade and Industry Library and on the Oil
and Gas Directorate’s website, or can be obtained from the
Licence Administration.

Quadrant

Q210

Q211

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q9

Q10

Q13

Q14

Q15

Q16

Q20

Q21

Q22

Q23

Q28

Q29

Q30

Q31

Q38

Q39

Q42

Q43

Q44

Q47

Q48

Q49

Q50

Q53

Q54

Blocks

14, 15, 19, 20, 24, 25, 29, 30

6 to 30 inclusive

4, 5, 10

1 to 30 inclusive

All

1 to 30 inclusive

All

17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30

12 to 30 inclusive

11 to 30 inclusive

1 to 30 inclusive

1 to 10 inclusive, 15 and 20

1 to 20 inclusive, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30

1 to 30 inclusive

All

4, 5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 19, 20

1 to 20 inclusive, 23, 24, 25

1 to 25 inclusive, 27, 28, 29, 30

All

5

1, 2

23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29

11 to 30 inclusive

1 to 30

3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 19, 20

1 to 12, 14 to 17 and 19 to 25, 30

1 to 30 inclusive

All

1 to 5 inclusive

1