§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about further onshore petroleum licensing.
§ Mr. EggarI have placed in the Libraries of both Houses the text of a notice, which will be published as soon as possible in theOfficial Gazette, inviting companies to apply for exploration licences in respect of unlicensed areas in Great Britain and certain near-shore waters. The notice specifies that applications should be made on Wednesday 21 October 1992. Application forms and guidance notes will be available from my Department.
I shall separately be inviting holders of production licences to apply to transfer exploration acreage within their existing licences to the new style exploration licences, subject to agreement being reached on a satisfactory work programme for the area.
Successful applicants will be offered exploration licences containing the conditions set out in the Petroleum (Production) (Landward Areas) Regulations 1991. The licences will grant rights for a term of six years and entitle the licensee to carry out seismic surveys and deep drilling subject to the need to obtain the requisite permission from the appropriate mineral planning authorities and landowners and occupiers.