Section 643 - Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010 - Remedial directions to former holders of permits, leases, licences and authorities etc.

643 Remedial directions to former holders of permits, leases, licences and authorities etc.

(1) This section applies if an event specified in the table has happened—

(2) The Minister may, by written notice given to the person who was, or is, as the case may be, the registered holder of the permit, lease, licence or authority, direct the person to do any or all of the following things within the period specified in the notice—

(i) remove, or cause to be removed, from the vacated area all property brought into that area by any person engaged or concerned in the operations authorised by the permit, lease, licence or authority; or

(b) to plug or close off, to the satisfaction of the Minister, all wells made in the vacated area by any person engaged or concerned in those operations;

(c) to provide, to the satisfaction of the Minister, for the conservation and protection of the natural resources in the vacated area;

(d) to make good, to the satisfaction of the Minister, any damage to the seabed or subsoil in the vacated area caused by any person engaged or concerned in those operations.

(5) In attaining a state of satisfaction for the purposes of subsection (2)(b), the Minister must have regard to the principle that plugging or closing off wells should be carried out in a way that minimises damage to the petroleum-bearing qualities of geological formations.

(6) A person who is given a direction under subsection (2) must not without reasonable excuse contravene the direction.

643Remedial directions to former holders of permits, leases, licences and authorities etc.

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