United Kingdom Government notice concerning European Parliament and Council Directive 94/22/EEC 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: 2003-12-19
Institutions: United Kingdom
Subjects: United Kingdom, hydrocarbon, mineral prospecting, mining extraction, mining operation

19.12.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 309/11

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

(2003/C 309/05)

(Text with EEA relevance)

ANNOUNCEMENT OF UNITED KINGDOM ONSHORE (LANDWARD) OUT OF ROUND OFFER ON THE UK
ORDNANCE SURVEY BLOCKS SN 88; 89; 97; 98; 99

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

The Petroleum (Production) (Landward Areas) Regulations
1995

(e)

in accordance with the

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry invites
1.
Petroleum
interested persons,
(Production)
(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 Licences in respect of acreage
above the Medium High Water Mark within UK Ordnance
Survey Blocks SN 88; 89; 97; 98; 99. A map showing these
is available on the DTI's oil and gas web site,
blocks
http://www.og.dti.gov.uk.

Applications for licences

2.

In respect of all blocks referred to in paragraph 1 above:

from the Department of Trade

(a) applications should be made on a standard application
and
form available
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, Exploration and Devel-
opment Branch, Oil and Gas Directorate, Department of
Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET
(telephone
44-(0)
207 215 50 70). This documentation is also available on
the DTI's oil and gas web site, http://www.og.dti.gov.uk;

207 215 50 32,

44-(0)

fax

(b) applications should be delivered to the Licensing and
Consents Unit of the Department of Trade and Industry
SW1H 0ET before
at 1 Victoria
13.00 hrs on 22nd March 2004 together with a fee of
GBP 1 000 per
application. No applications will be
accepted after 13.00 hrs on 22nd March 2004;

London,

Street,

(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
term which they intend to

programme for the initial
carry out if awarded a licence;

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 or
and gas web site,
http://www.og.dti.gov.uk.

from the DTI's oil

Applications will be judged against the background of the
3.
continuing need for expeditious, thorough, efficient and safe
exploration to identify oil and gas
resources within the
mainland of Great Britain. 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

that would be permitted under

to carry out
activities
the licence
during the initial term including the identification of hydro-
carbon 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
the licence
including the quality of the work programme submitted
for evaluating the full potential of the area applied for;

that would be permitted under

treated as having been granted under

(d) where the applicant holds or has held a licence granted
under or
the
Petroleum Act 1998, any lack of efficiency and responsi-
bility displayed by the applicant in operations under that
licence.

Following examination of all applications in respect of
4.
the blocks referred to in paragraph 1, the Secretary of State
will select the applicants to whom he is prepared to award
licences. Applicants
to whom the Secretary of State is
prepared to award licences will be notified within a period
of 6 months commencing on 22nd March 2004.

C 309/12

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

19.12.2003

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

for

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

(a) confirms in writing his acceptance of all the terms of the
licence and a work programme proposed by the Secretary
of State following discussion with the applicant; and

(b) remits

to

the

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

Secretary

State

the

of

Licence term and consideration payable

Licences issued in respect of the blocks referred to in
7.
paragraph 1 will
incorporate clauses based on the Model
Clauses set out in Schedule 3 to the Petroleum (Production)
(Landward Areas) Regulations 1995. Licences 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
accepted, of GBP 25 for each square kilometre 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
to biennial
which the licence then relates and subject

review in line with movements in the Index of the Price
of Crude Oil Acquired by Refineries (published in the
Digest of UK Energy Statistics) if the Secretary of State so
determines. Further details concerning the payments due
are available from the Department of Trade and Industry.

Special note

9.
The acreage contains certain existing works, and it will be
a condition of any offer of a Licence that the applicant will
accept responsibility for them (as if they had been drilled under
the Licence being offered). Further details are available from the
contact below.

Confidentiality

10. Material supplied in support of applications will be
treated in accordance with the Code of Practice on Access to
Government Information.

Exceptions

The terms, provisions, payments and other details
11.
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).

Application dates

12.
Applications must be received by the Department of
Trade and Industry on or before 13.00 on 22nd March 2004.

Contact details

Ricki Kiff: Licensing and Consents Unit, Department of Trade
and Industry, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET (tel. (0-20)
72 15 50 32, fax (0-20) 72 15 50 70).

Department of Trade and Industry Library: 1 Victoria Street,
fax
London
(0-20) 72 15 56 65).

(0-20) 72 15 50 06/7,

SW1H

0ET

(tel.

Oil & Gas Directorate's website: www.og.dti.gov.uk