53Minister may allow application for more than one discrete area

53 Minister may allow application for more than one discrete area

53 Minister may allow application for more than one discrete area

(1) If:

(a) a person (the first applicant) applies for an exploration licence, and

(b) another person (the second applicant) subsequently applies for an exploration licence for a group of blocks that includes a block covered by the application made by the first applicant, and

(c) an exploration licence is then granted to the first applicant, and

(d) as a result of the grant, the blocks for which the second applicant can be granted an exploration licence no longer form a discrete area,

the second applicant may apply to the Minister for approval for the application to proceed even though the blocks it covers no longer form a discrete area.

Note—

See also section 59.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), the Minister may approve the application proceeding even though the blocks that the application covers do not form a discrete area.

(3) The Minister may give an approval under subsection (2) only if the blocks covered by the application form not more than 3 discrete areas.