PETROLEUM AND GEOTHERMAL ENERGY RESOURCES ACT 1967 - SECT 135

PETROLEUM AND GEOTHERMAL ENERGY RESOURCES ACT 1967 - SECT 135

135 .         Certain portions of blocks to be blocks

        (1)         Where the area in respect of which a permit, drilling reservation, lease, licence or prescribed instrument is in force includes one or more portions of a block constituted as provided by section 27, then, for the purposes of this Part —

            (a)         the area of that portion or those portions constitutes a block; and

            (b)         the area of the remaining portion or portions of the first-mentioned block (but not including any part of that area in respect of which a permit, drilling reservation, lease, licence or prescribed instrument is in force) constitutes a block.

        (2)         Where a permit, drilling reservation, lease, licence or prescribed instrument ceases to be in force in respect of an area that constitutes a block as provided by subsection (1)(a), the Minister may, by instrument in writing, if he considers it desirable to do so, determine that that block shall be amalgamated with another block or blocks, being a block or blocks —

            (a)         constituted as provided by this section; and

            (b)         forming part of the graticular section of which that first-mentioned block forms part; and

            (c)         in respect of which a permit, drilling reservation, lease or licence is in force.

        (3)         Where such a determination is made, then, for the purposes of this Part —

            (a)         the blocks the subject of the determination cease to constitute blocks and the areas of those blocks together constitute a block;

            (b)         the block constituted by reason of the determination is, subject to this Part, for the remainder of the term of the permit, drilling reservation, lease or licence concerned a block in respect of which the permit, drilling reservation, lease or licence is in force.

        (4)         The Minister shall not make a determination under subsection (2) except with the consent of the permittee, holder of the drilling reservation, lessee or licensee concerned.

        [Section 135 amended: No. 12 of 1990 s. 102; No. 78 of 1990 s. 7.]