7Offence of prospecting or mining without authority

7 Offence of prospecting or mining without authority

7 Offence of prospecting or mining without authority

(1) A person must not prospect for or mine petroleum except in accordance with a petroleum title.

Maximum penalty for prospecting in contravention of this section—

(a) in the case of a corporation—5,000 penalty units, and, in the case of a continuing offence, a further penalty of 500 penalty units for each day that the offence continues, or

(b) in the case of a natural person—1,000 penalty units or imprisonment for 5 years, or both, and, in the case of a continuing offence, a further penalty of 100 penalty units for each day that the offence continues.

Maximum penalty for mining in contravention of this section—

(a) in the case of a corporation—10,000 penalty units, or

(b) in the case of an individual—2,000 penalty units or imprisonment for 5 years, or both.

(2) Nothing in this section prevents a person from prospecting for or mining petroleum if the person is entitled to do so by virtue of a legal instrument—

(a) approved by the Minister under Part 8, or

(b) approved under the Mining Act 1992 by the Minister administering that Act.

s 7: Am 1992 No 29, Sch 5; 2000 No 90, Sch 1.2 [1]; 2012 No 84, Sch 2.3 [1] [2].