103Exemption

#### 103 Exemption (1) Where: (a) a permit, lease or licence is, under this Part, to be taken to continue in force until the Joint Authority grants, or refuses to grant, the renewal of the permit, lease or licence; (b) a licence is varied under section 45; (c) a licensee enters into an agreement under section 59, or a direction is given to a licensee under that section; (d) a permit, lease or licence is partly cancelled, partly determined or surrendered as to one or more but not all of the blocks in respect of which it is in force; (e) a pipeline licence is varied under section 71 or 72; (f) a direction is given to a pipeline licensee under section 73; (g) a pipeline licence is partly cancelled; (h) a permittee, lessee or licensee consents to the making of a determination under section 149; (j) a permittee, lessee, licensee, infrastructure licensee or pipeline licensee applies, by written instrument served on the Designated Authority: (i) for a variation or suspension of; or (ii) for exemption from compliance with; any of the conditions to which the permit, lease, licence, infrastructure licence or pipeline licence is subject; or (k) the Designated Authority or Joint Authority, under this Part or the regulations, gives a direction or consent to a permittee, lessee, licensee, infrastructure licensee or pipeline licensee; the Joint Authority may, at any time, by written instrument served on the permittee, lessee, licensee, infrastructure licensee or pipeline licensee: (m) vary or suspend; or (n) exempt the permittee, lessee, licensee, infrastructure licensee or pipeline licensee from compliance with; any of the conditions to which the permit, lease, licence, infrastructure licence or pipeline licence is subject, upon such conditions, if any, as the Joint Authority determines and specifies in the instrument. (1A) Where: (a) an access authority is granted in respect of a block the subject of a permit, lease or licence, or an access authority as in force in respect of such a block is varied; (b) the holder of a special prospecting authority or access authority applies, by written instrument served on the Designated Authority: (i) for a variation or suspension of; or (ii) for exemption from compliance with; any of the conditions to which the special prospecting authority or access authority is subject; or (c) the Designated Authority, under this Part or the regulations, gives a direction or consent to the holder of a special prospecting authority or access authority; the Designated Authority may, at any time, by written instrument served on the holder of the special prospecting authority or access authority: (d) vary or suspend; or (e) exempt the holder of the special prospecting authority or access authority from compliance with; any of the conditions to which the special prospecting authority or access authority is subject, upon such conditions, if any, as the Designated Authority determines and specifies in the instrument. (2) Subsection (1) does not authorize the making of an instrument to the extent that it would affect: (a) a condition of a permit, lease or licence included in the permit, lease or licence in compliance with the Royalty Act; or (b) the term of a permit, lease, licence, infrastructure licence or pipeline licence. (3) Where, in pursuance of subsection (1), the Joint Authority suspends, or exempts the permittee or lessee from compliance with, any of the conditions to which a permit or lease is subject, the Joint Authority may, if it considers the circumstances make it reasonable to do so, in the instrument of suspension or exemption or by a later instrument in writing served on the permittee or lessee, extend the term of the permit or lease by a period not exceeding the period of the suspension or exemption.