112Special prospecting authorities

112 Special prospecting authorities

112 Special prospecting authorities

(1) A person may make an application to the Minister for the grant of a special prospecting authority in respect of a block or blocks in respect of which a permit, lease or licence is not in force.

(2) An application under this section—

(a) shall be in accordance with an approved form, and

(b) shall be made in an approved manner, and

(c) shall specify the operations that the applicant proposes to carry on and the block or blocks in respect of which the applicant proposes to carry on those operations, and

(d) shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee.

(3) The Minister—

(a) may grant to the applicant a special prospecting authority subject to such conditions as the Minister thinks fit and specifies in the authority, or

(b) may refuse to grant the application.

(4) A special prospecting authority, while it remains in force, authorizes the holder, subject to this Act and the regulations and in accordance with the conditions to which the special prospecting authority is subject, to carry on in the blocks specified in the special prospecting authority the petroleum exploration operations so specified.

(5) Nothing in a special prospecting authority authorizes the holder to make a well.

(6) A special prospecting authority comes into force on the day specified for the purpose in the authority and, unless surrendered or cancelled, remains in force for such period, not exceeding 6 months, as is so specified.

(6A) A special prospecting authority is not capable of being transferred.

(6B) Where—

(a) a person holds a special prospecting authority in respect of a block, and

(b) another special prospecting authority is granted to another person in respect of the block,

the Minister shall, by notice in writing served on each of those persons, inform each of them of—

(c) the petroleum exploration operations authorized by the special prospecting authority granted to the other person, and