46Circumstances when petroleum production licensee must apply for acceptance of varied field development plan

46  Circumstances when petroleum production licensee must apply for acceptance of varied field development plan

Major change in relation to recovery of petroleum

 (1) If a petroleum production licensee intends to make a major change in relation to the recovery of petroleum from a field covered by an accepted field development plan, the licensee must:

 (a) vary the accepted field development plan to provide for the major change; and

 (b) apply to the Titles Administrator for the acceptance, by the Joint Authority, of that plan as varied (the varied field development plan).

Note: A petroleum production licensee also must not undertake an activity if the undertaking of the activity is not consistent with the accepted field development plan: see section 40.

 (2) The petroleum production licensee must submit the application at least 90 days before making the major change.

Varied field development plan required by Joint Authority

 (3) If the Joint Authority requires a petroleum production licensee, by written notice under section 51, to vary an accepted field development plan of the licensee, the licensee must:

 (a) vary the plan in accordance with:

 (i) the notice; or

 (ii) if the notice is varied under section 53—the varied notice; and

 (b) apply to the Titles Administrator for the acceptance, by the Joint Authority, of that plan as varied (the varied field development plan).

Note: Under section 51, the Titles Administrator may give a petroleum production licensee a written notice advising the licensee that the Joint Authority requires the licensee to vary an accepted field development plan. The licensee may object to the notice under section 52 and the Titles Administrator may vary or withdraw the notice under section 53.

 (4) The petroleum production licensee must submit the application:

 (a) within 90 days after the notice is given to the licensee under section 51; or

 (b) if the notice is varied under section 53—within 90 days after the licensee is notified of the new requirements under that section.

 (5) Subsections (3) and (4) do not apply if the notice is withdrawn under section 53.

Transfer of licence

 (a) a petroleum production licensee has an accepted field development plan for a field in the licence area; and

 (b) after the plan was accepted by the Joint Authority, a transfer of the petroleum production licence is registered under section 479 of the Act; and

 (c) another petroleum production licensee who is the transferee, in relation to the transfer of the licence, does not give the Titles Administrator a written undertaking to continue operations in the field consistently with the accepted field development plan;