305AApplication for a consolidated work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permit

305A Application for a consolidated work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permit

(a) 2 work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permits (the existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permits) are in force; and

(b) a person is the registered holder of the existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permits; and

(c) at least one block of the permit area of one of the existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permits has a side in common with at least one block of the permit area of the other existing greenhouse gas assessment permit; and

(d) the person has informed the Minister, under section 486A, that—

(i) a part of a geological formation is wholly situated in the area (the combined area) that consists of the combination of the permit areas of the existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permits; and

(ii) the part extends to the permit area of each existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permit; and

(iii) the person has reasonable grounds to suspect that the part could be an eligible greenhouse gas storage formation; and

(e) there is no identified greenhouse gas storage formation that is wholly situated within the permit area of either of the existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permits.

(2) The person may apply to the Minister for the grant of a greenhouse gas assessment permit over all the blocks in the permit areas of the existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permits.

(3) An application under subsection (2) for a greenhouse gas assessment permit must be accompanied by—

(a) details of the applicant's proposals for work and expenditure in relation to the combined area; and

(a) the person makes an application under subsection (2) for a greenhouse gas assessment permit; and

(b) one or both of the existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permits would, apart from this subsection, expire before the Minister grants, or refuses to grant, a greenhouse gas assessment permit in response to the application—

that existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permit, or those existing work-bid greenhouse gas assessment permits, continue in force until the Minister grants, or refuses to grant, a greenhouse gas assessment permit in response to the application.

(5) Subsection (4) has effect subject to this Chapter but despite section 294.

S. 305B inserted by No. 26/2021 s. 25.