24Land and minerals for which exploration licence may be granted

#### 24 Land and minerals for which exploration licence may be granted 24 Land and minerals for which exploration licence may be granted > > (1) An exploration licence may be granted over land of any title or tenure. > > > (2) An exploration licence may be granted in respect of any group or groups of minerals, regardless of whether the minerals in any such group are publicly owned, privately owned or partly publicly and partly privately owned. > > > (3) An exploration licence may be granted over the surface of land, over the surface of land and the subsoil below the surface, over the surface of land and the subsoil down to a specified depth below the surface or over the subsoil below or between any specified depth or depths below the surface of land. > > > (4) However, an exploration (mineral owner) licence may be granted— > > > > > (a) only in respect of privately owned minerals, and > > > > > (b) only to the owner of those minerals. > > **s 24:** Am 1999 No 43, Sch 1 \[1\]; 2008 No 19, Sch 1 \[23\].