PETROLEUM AND GEOTHERMAL ENERGY RESOURCES ACT 1967 - SECT 54

PETROLEUM AND GEOTHERMAL ENERGY RESOURCES ACT 1967 - SECT 54

54 .         Grant of licence

        (1)         An applicant on whom there has been served an instrument under section 53(1) may, within a period of 3 months after the date of service of the instrument on him, or within such further period, not exceeding 3 months, as the Minister, on application in writing served on him before the expiration of the first-mentioned period of 3 months, allows, by instrument in writing served on the Minister, request the Minister to grant to him the licence referred to in the first-mentioned instrument.

        (2)         Where an applicant on whom there has been served an instrument under section 53(1) has made a request under subsection (1) within the period applicable under subsection (1), the Minister shall grant to the applicant a petroleum production licence or geothermal production licence, as the case requires, in respect of the block or blocks as to which the Minister is satisfied as mentioned in section 53(1)(c) or (2A)(c).

        (3)         A secondary licence shall not be granted to a permittee, the holder of the drilling reservation or lessee in respect of any one or more of the blocks that constitute a location unless —

            (a)         a primary licence has been granted in respect of a block or blocks forming part of that location; and

            (b)         the number of blocks in respect of which the primary licence was granted, together with the number of blocks included in that licence by reason of variations of the licence under section 55, is the primary entitlement of the permittee, holder of the drilling reservation or lessee, as the case requires.

        (4)         Where an applicant on whom there has been served an instrument under section 53(1) has not made a request under subsection (1) within the period applicable under subsection (1), the application lapses upon the expiration of that period.

        (5)         On the day on which a licence granted under this section comes into force, the permit, drilling reservation or lease in respect of the blocks in respect of which the licence was granted ceases to be in force in respect of those blocks.

        [Section 54 amended: No. 12 of 1990 s. 40; No. 78 of 1990 s. 7; No. 28 of 1994 s. 27; No. 35 of 2007 s. 49; No. 42 of 2010 s. 34.]