84Restrictions on area to which licence applies

84 Restrictions on area to which licence applies

(1) The Minister may grant an injection and monitoring licence in respect of all or part of the area in respect of which the licence is sought.

(2) In granting an injection and monitoring licence, the Minister must—

(a) ensure that the licence area is the minimum area necessary—

(i) to cover the maximum extent of the underground geological storage formation identified as being likely to be geologically suitable for the injection and permanent storage of a greenhouse gas substance; and

(ii) to enable the future use of any other underground geological storage formation for the injection and permanent storage of a greenhouse gas substance; and

(b) allow for the potential migration path of an injected greenhouse gas substance to ensure that the injected greenhouse gas substance is likely to be contained in the licence area or any combined area of a development agreement.

(3) In the case of licences granted under Division 2, nothing in this section authorises the Minister to include in the licence area any area that was not within the area to which the licence holder's exploration permit or retention lease applied at the time it applied for the licence.