92Effect of withdrawal or lapse of application

92 Effect of withdrawal or lapse of application

(a) 2 or more applications have been made under section 86 for the grant of a petroleum exploration permit over the same block or blocks; and

(b) one or more, but not all, of the applications are withdrawn or have lapsed.

(2) A withdrawn or lapsed application is taken not to have been made.

(3) If the Minister gave an offer document in relation to a withdrawn or lapsed application, the Minister is taken not to have given an offer document in relation to the withdrawn or lapsed application.

(4) If the applicant, or one of the applicants, whose application had been withdrawn had requested the Minister under section 256 to grant a petroleum exploration permit to the applicant concerned, the request is taken not to have been made.

(5) If the following conditions are satisfied in relation to a remaining applicant—

(a) the Minister had refused to grant a petroleum exploration permit to the remaining applicant;

(b) the Minister did not exclude the remaining applicant from the ranking under section 89(2)—

the refusal is taken not to have occurred.

Division 3—Obtaining a cash‑bid petroleum exploration permit