Canada Petroleum Resources Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. 36 (2nd Supp.))

Significant Discovery Licences

Marginal note:Rights under significant discovery licence

29 A significant discovery licence confers, with respect to the frontier lands to which the licence applies,

• (a) the right to explore for, and the exclusive right to drill and test for, petroleum;

• (b) the exclusive right to develop those frontier lands in order to produce petroleum; and

• (c) the exclusive right, subject to compliance with the other provisions of this Act, to obtain a production licence.

Marginal note:Significant discovery licence in relation to lands subject to exploration licences

• 30 (1) Where a declaration of significant discovery is in force and all or a portion of the significant discovery area is subject to an exploration licence or a share therein held in accordance with section 23, the Minister shall, on the application of the interest holder of the exploration licence or the share made in the form and manner and containing such information as may be prescribed, issue to the interest holder a significant discovery licence in respect of all portions of the significant discovery area that are subject to the exploration licence or the share.

• Marginal note:Significant discovery licence in relation to Crown reserve lands

  (2) Where a declaration of significant discovery is in force and the significant discovery area extends to Crown reserve lands, the Minister may, after making a call for bids in relation to those Crown reserve lands or any portion thereof and selecting a bid submitted in response to the call in accordance with subsection 15(1), issue a significant discovery licence to the person who submitted that bid in relation to the Crown reserve lands specified in the call.

• Marginal note:Terms and conditions of significant discovery licence

  (3) A significant discovery licence shall be in the form prescribed and may contain any other terms and conditions, not inconsistent with this Act or the regulations, as may be agreed on by the Minister and the interest owner of the significant discovery licence.

Marginal note:Reduction of lands subject to significant discovery licence

• 31 (1) Where a significant discovery area in relation to a declaration of significant discovery is decreased pursuant to an amendment made under subsection 28(4), any significant discovery licence that was issued on the basis of that declaration shall be amended by decreasing accordingly the frontier lands subject to that licence.

• Marginal note:Increase in lands subject to significant discovery licence

  (2) Where a significant discovery area in relation to a declaration of significant discovery is increased pursuant to an amendment made under subsection 28(4), any significant discovery licence that was issued on the basis of that declaration shall be amended to include all portions of the amended significant discovery area that are subject to any exploration licence held by the interest owner of that significant discovery licence at the time the significant discovery area is so increased.

Marginal note:Exploration licence ceases to have effect

• 32 (1) On the issuance of a significant discovery licence pursuant to subsection 30(1) with respect to a significant discovery area, any exploration licence ceases to have effect in relation to that significant discovery area.

• Marginal note:Effective date of significant discovery licence

  (2) The effective date of a significant discovery licence is the date of application for the licence.

• Marginal note:Term of significant discovery licence

  (3) Subject to subsection 42(1), a significant discovery licence continues in force, in relation to each portion of the frontier lands to which the licence applies, during such period as the declaration of significant discovery on the basis of which the licence was issued remains in force in relation to that portion.

• Marginal note:Crown reserve lands on expiration of licence

  (4) On the expiration of a significant discovery licence, any frontier lands to which the significant discovery licence related and that are not subject to a production licence become Crown reserve lands.

Drilling Orders

Marginal note:Drilling orders

• 33 (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4), the Minister may, at any time after the Commission of the Canadian Energy Regulator has made a declaration of significant discovery, by order subject to section 106, require the interest owner of any interest in relation to any portion of the significant discovery area to drill a well on any portion of the significant discovery area that is subject to that interest, in accordance with any directions that may be set out in the order, and to commence the drilling within one year after the making of the order or within any longer period that the Minister specifies in the order.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) No order may be made under subsection (1) with respect to any interest owner who has completed a well on the relevant frontier lands within six months after the completion of that well.

• Marginal note:Condition

  (3) No order may be made under subsection (1) within the three years immediately following the well termination date of the well indicating the relevant significant discovery.

• Marginal note:Idem

  (4) No order made under subsection (1) may require an interest owner to drill more than one well at a time on the relevant frontier lands.

• Marginal note:Definition of well termination date

  (5) For the purposes of subsection (3), well termination date means the date on which a well has been abandoned, completed or suspended in accordance with any applicable drilling regulations.

Marginal note:Information may be disclosed

• 34 (1) The Minister may, notwithstanding section 101, provide information or documentation relating to a significant discovery to any interest owner who requires such information or documentation to assist the interest owner in complying with an order made under subsection 33(1).

• Marginal note:Idem

  (2) An interest owner shall not disclose any information or documentation provided to that interest owner under subsection (1) except to the extent necessary to enable the interest owner to comply with an order made under subsection 33(1).

PART IVProduction

Commercial Discoveries

Marginal note:Application for declaration of commercial discovery

• 35 (1) Where a commercial discovery has been made on any frontier lands that are subject to an interest or a share therein held in accordance with section 23, the Commission of the Canadian Energy Regulator shall, on the application of the interest holder of the interest or the share, made in the form and manner and containing such information as may be prescribed, make a written declaration of commercial discovery in relation to those frontier lands in respect of which there are reasonable grounds to believe that the commercial discovery may extend.

• Marginal note:Declaration on initiative of Commission of the Canadian Energy Regulator

  (2) Where a commercial discovery has been made on any frontier lands, the Commission of the Canadian Energy Regulator may, by order, make a declaration of commercial discovery in relation to those frontier lands in respect of which there are reasonable grounds to believe that the commercial discovery may extend.

• Marginal note:Application of certain provisions

  (3) Subsections 28(3) to (6) apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require, with respect to a declaration made under subsection (1) or (2).

• Marginal note:Procedures

  (4) The procedures described in section 382 of the Canadian Energy Regulator Act apply to the making, amendment or revocation of a declaration under this section.

• Marginal note:Delegation

  (5) The Commission of the Canadian Energy Regulator may delegate any of its powers under this section to a member, officer or employee of the Commission, who shall exercise the powers in accordance with the terms of the delegation.

Development Orders

Marginal note:Notice of order to reduce term of interest

• 36 (1) The Minister may, at any time after the Commission of the Canadian Energy Regulator has made a declaration of commercial discovery, give notice to the interest owner of any interest in relation to any portion of the commercial discovery area where commercial production of petroleum has not commenced before that time stating that, after any period of not less than six months that may be specified in the notice, an order may be made reducing the term of that interest.

• Marginal note:Opportunity for submissions

  (2) During the period specified in a notice sent to an interest owner under subsection (1), the Minister shall provide a reasonable opportunity for the interest owner to make such submissions as the interest owner considers relevant to determining whether the Minister should make an order reducing the term of the relevant interest.

• Marginal note:Order reducing term of interest

  (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, where the Minister is of the opinion that it is in the public interest, he may, at any time not later than six months after the expiration of the period specified in a notice in respect of an interest sent under subsection (1), by order subject to section 106, reduce the term of the interest to three years after the date the order is made or such longer period as may be specified in the order.

• Marginal note:All interests cease

  (4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act but subject to subsections (5) and (6), where an order is made under subsection (3), any interest in respect of frontier lands within the area to which the interest that is the subject of the order applied on the date the order was made ceases to have effect at the end of the period specified in the order.

• Marginal note:Order ceases to have effect where production commences

  (5) Where commercial production of petroleum on any portion of the frontier lands referred to in subsection (4) commences before the expiration of the period specified in an order made under subsection (3) or the period extended pursuant to subsection (6), the order ceases to have effect and is deemed to have been vacated.

• Marginal note:Extension of period

  (6) The Minister may extend the period specified in an order made under subsection (3) or may revoke the order.

Issuance of Production Licences

Marginal note:Rights under production licence

• 37 (1) A production licence confers, with respect to the frontier lands to which the licence applies,

  • (a) the right to explore for, and the exclusive right to drill and test for, petroleum;

  • (b) the exclusive right to develop those frontier lands in order to produce petroleum;

  • (c) the exclusive right to produce petroleum from those frontier lands; and

  • (d) title to the petroleum so produced.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Minister may, subject to such terms and conditions as the Minister deems appropriate, authorize any interest holder of an interest or a share therein to produce petroleum on the frontier lands subject to the interest or share for use in the exploration or drilling for or development of petroleum on any frontier lands.

Marginal note:Issuance of production licence

• 38 (1) Subject to section 44, the Minister, on application made in the form and manner and containing such information as may be prescribed,

  • (a) shall issue a production licence to one interest owner, in respect of any one commercial discovery area or portion thereof that is subject to an exploration licence or a significant discovery licence held by that interest owner; and

  • (b) may, subject to such terms and conditions as may be agreed on by the Minister and the relevant interest owners, issue a production licence to

    • (i) one interest owner, in respect of two or more commercial discovery areas or portions thereof that are subject to an exploration licence or a significant discovery licence held by that interest owner, or

    • (ii) two or more interest owners, in respect of one or more commercial discovery areas or portions thereof that are subject to an exploration licence or a significant discovery licence held by any of those interest owners.

• Marginal note:Production licence in relation to Crown reserve lands

  (2) Where a declaration of commercial discovery is in force and the commercial discovery area extends to Crown reserve lands, the Minister may, after making a call for bids in relation to those Crown reserve lands or any portion thereof and selecting a bid submitted in response to the call in accordance with subsection 15(1), issue a production licence to the person who submitted that bid in relation to the Crown reserve lands specified in the call.

• Marginal note:Terms and conditions of production licence

  (3) A production licence shall be in the form prescribed and may contain any terms and conditions, not inconsistent with this Act or the regulations, as may be agreed on by the Minister and the interest owner of the production licence.

Marginal note:Consolidation of production licences

39 The Minister may, on the application of the interest owners of two or more production licences, consolidate those production licences into a single production licence, on such terms and conditions as may be agreed on by the Minister and those interest owners.

Marginal note:Reduction of lands subject to production licence

• 40 (1) Where a commercial discovery area in relation to a declaration of commercial discovery is decreased pursuant to an amendment made under subsections 28(4) and 35(3), any production licence that was issued on the basis of that declaration shall be amended by decreasing accordingly the frontier lands subject to that licence.

• Marginal note:Increase in lands subject to production licence

  (2) Where a commercial discovery area in relation to a declaration of commercial discovery is increased pursuant to an amendment made under subsections 28(4) and 35(3), any production licence that was issued on the basis of that declaration shall be amended to include all portions of the amended commercial discovery area that are subject to an exploration licence or a significant discovery licence held by the interest owner of that production licence at the time the commercial discovery area is so increased.

Marginal note:Term of production licence

• 41 (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4), a production licence is effective from the date it is issued and shall be issued for a term of twenty-five years.

• Marginal note:Idem

  (2) Where a declaration of commercial discovery on the basis of which a production licence was issued is, pursuant to subsections 28(4) and 35(3), revoked or amended to exclude all portions of the commercial discovery area in relation to which the production licence was issued, the production licence ceases to be in force.

• Marginal note:Automatic extension of term

  (3) Where, on the expiration of the term of a production licence, petroleum is being produced commercially, the term is extended for such period thereafter during which commercial production of petroleum continues.

• Marginal note:Discretionary extension of term

  (4) The Minister may, by order, on such terms and conditions as may be specified in the order, extend the term of a production licence where

  • (a) commercial production of petroleum from the frontier lands subject to the licence ceases before or on the expiration of the twenty-five year term of the production licence and the Minister has reasonable grounds to believe that commercial production from those lands will recommence; or

  • (b) the Minister has reasonable grounds to believe that commercial production of petroleum from those lands will, at any time before or after the expiration of the term of the licence, cease during any period and thereafter recommence.