Communication from the French Government concerning Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons (1)

(Notice regarding applications for exclusive licences to prospect for liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, designated the ‘Languedoc Licence’ and the ‘Plaines du Languedoc Licence’)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/C 244/06)

On 19 April 2007, Languedoc Petroleum Development Ltd, a company with registered offices at Wembley Point, 1 Harrow Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 6DE, United Kingdom, applied for an exclusive five-year licence, designated the ‘Languedoc Licence’, to prospect for oil and gas in an area of approximately 2 348 km2 covering part of the departments of Aude and Hérault. The application was amended on 16 May 2008.

On 28 January 2008, Lundin International SA, a company with registered offices at Maclaunay, F-51210 Montmirail, applied for an exclusive five-year licence, designated the ‘Plaines du Languedoc Licence’, to prospect for oil and gas in the area covered by the Languedoc Licence.

The perimeter of the area covered by these licences consists of the meridian and parallel arcs connecting in turn the vertices defined below by their geographical coordinates in degrees, the prime meridian being that of Paris.

Vertex H: intersection of the 47,90 North parallel with the shore of the Mediterranean.

Vertex I: intersection of the 1,30 East meridian with the shore of the Mediterranean.

Vertices H to I: shore of the Mediterranean.

Submission of applications and criteria for awarding rights

The initial applicants and competing applicants must meet the conditions specified in Articles 4 and 5 of Decree No 2006-648 of 2 June 2006 concerning mining rights and underground storage rights (décret relatif aux titres miniers et aux titres de stockage souterrain), published in the Journal officiel de la République française of 3 June 2006.

Interested companies may, within ninety days of the publication of this notice, submit a competing application in accordance with the procedure summarised in the ‘Notice regarding the granting of mining rights for hydrocarbons in France’ published in Official Journal of the European Communities C 374 of 30.12.1994, p. 11, and established by Decree No 2006-648 concerning mining rights and underground storage rights. Competing applications should be sent to the Minister responsible for mines at the address below.

The decisions on the initial application and competing applications will be based on the criteria governing the award of mining rights as set out in Article 6 of the abovementioned Decree and will be taken by 1 October 2009 at the latest.

Conditions and requirements regarding performance of the activity and cessation thereof

Applicants are referred to Articles 79 and 79.1 of the Mining Code (code minier) and to Decree No 2006-649 of 2 June 2006 on mining and underground storage operations and the regulations governing mining and underground storage (décret relatif aux travaux miniers, aux travaux de stockage souterrain et à la police des mines et des stockages souterrains), published in the Journal officiel de la République française of 3 June 2006.

Further information can be obtained from the following address: Ministère de l'écologie, de l'énergie, de l'aménagement du territoire et du développement durable (direction générale de l'énergie et du climat, direction de l'énergie, SD2, bureau exploration et production des hydrocarbures), 41, boulevard Vincent Auriol, F-75703 Paris Cedex 13 (tel. (33) 144 97 23 02, fax (33) 144 97 05 70).

The laws and regulations referred to above can be consulted at:

http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr

(1)  OJ L 164, 30.6.1994, p. 3.