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Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

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On issues relating to the working environment, safety and emergency<br />

response, however, the NPD reports to the Ministry of Local Government and<br />

Regional Development (KRD).<br />

3. Licensing Policy and Legislation<br />

The Petroleum Act (Act No 72 of 29 November 1996) pertaining to<br />

petroleum activities provides the overall legal basis for the licensing system,<br />

which regulates petroleum operations in Norway. The Act and the provisions<br />

of the Act, authorise the grant of permits and licences to explore for, produce<br />

and transport petroleum and so forth. The Norwegian offshore licensing<br />

system comprises a number of documents, which go into more detail on the<br />

rights and duties of the various parties. The Norwegian licensing system<br />

complies with the requirements of the European Union’s directive 94/22/EC<br />

on granting and using licensees to explore for and produce hydrocarbons (the<br />

licensing directive).<br />

All the different kinds of geological and geophysical surveys<br />

conducted on the shelf require that permission be granted by the authorities<br />

(NPD). Before permission is granted, the companies/institutions have to give<br />

certain information (survey methods, area covered by the survey, time, etc) to<br />

avoid conflict of interest with other activities in the area.<br />

In areas not opened for exploration activities the NPD has been given<br />

the exclusive responsibility on behalf of the landowner (the state) to<br />

undertake regional geophysical and geological investigations in order to<br />

generate basic understanding of geological conditions and describe the<br />

hydrocarbon potential of these areas. However, other institutions and<br />

companies are allowed to undertake geological and geophysical surveys in<br />

these areas on a scientific basis.<br />

A scientific research license may be granted to Norwegian or foreign<br />

scientific institutions, scientists and others having a need for conducting<br />

scientific research. The permit is usually granted for one particular<br />

investigation. The license is normally free and entitles the licensees to carry<br />

out different geophysical and geological surveys. The permit does not give<br />

any exclusive right to undertake research in the areas covered by the license.<br />

INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 793

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