Petroleum Act (No. 3), B.E. 2522

Section 1. This Act shall be called the "Petroleum Act (No. 3), B.E. 2522.

Section 2. This Act shall come into force as from the day following the date of its publication in the Government Gazette.

Section 3. The provision of Section 25 of the Petroleum Act B.E. 2514 shall be repealed and replaced by the following: "Section 25. The petroleum exploration period under a concession shall not exceed eight years from the date of the concession. In the event that the concessionaire wishes to apply for a renewal of the petroleum exploration period, the concessionaire shall submit an application for renewal thereof together with proposed expenditure and/or physical work obligations for the petroleum exploration during the Third obligation Period not less than six months prior to the termination of such period; provided that, the concessionaire who has initially applied for the petroleum exploration period of not more than five years shall have no right for any renewal of his petroleum exploration period. A renewal of the petroleum exploration period may be made only where the concessionaire has, not less than fifteen days prior to the termination of the Second obligation Period, complied with all provisions of the concession and has agreed upon the obligations for the petroleum exploration during the Third obligation Period. A renewal of the petroleum exploration period shall be made only once and such renewal shall not exceed four years."

Section 4. The provision of Section 26 of the Petroleum Act B.E. 2514 shall be repealed and replaced by the following: "Section 26. The petroleum production period under a concession shall not exceed thirty years from the day following the date of termination of the petroleum exploration period, notwithstanding any petroleum production undertaken during the petroleum exploration period. In the event that the concessionaire wishes to apply for a renewal of the petroleum production period, the concessionaire shall submit an application for renewal thereof not less than six months prior to the termination of such period. A renewal of the petroleum production period may be made only when the concessionaire has, not less than fifteen days prior to the termination of the petroleum production period, complied with all provisions of the concession and has agreed upon the provisions, obligations and conditions prevailing at that time. A renewal of petroleum production period shall be made only once and such renewal shall not exceed ten years."

Section 5. The following provision shall be added as paragraph 3 of Section 31 of the Petroleum Act B.E. 2514: "The performance of obligations for each obligation period may be divided into periods set forth in the concession; and in such case, the concessionaire shall fulfil all obligations within such periods."

Section 6. The provisions of Section 32 of the Petroleum Act B.E. 2514 shall be repealed and replaced by the following: "Section 32. At the end of each obligation period or at the end of a certain time limit within any obligation period as set forth in the concession, or in the event of relinquishment of the whole exploration block during the First obligation Period, if the concessionaire has not fulfilled all obligations for the petroleum exploration for any exploration block as set forth in the concession, the concessionaire shall pay to the Department of Mineral Resources the unspent residue of his exploration obligations for such obligation period or such time limit within thirty days from the date of the termination of such obligation period or such time limit, or from the date of such relinquishment, whichever the case may be."

Section 7. The provision of Section 34 of the Petroleum Act B.E 2514 shall be repealed and replaced by the following: "Section 34. In conducting the petroleum exploration within an exploration block during any obligation period or anytime limit within any obligation period as set forth in the concession, if the concessionaire has spent or worked in excess of the obligations for the petroleum exploration for such exploration block during such obligation period or such time limit, he shall have the right to deduct such excess from the obligations for the petroleum exploration for such exploration block in the subsequent obligation period, or subsequent time limit."

Section 8. The provision of paragraph 2 of Section 76 of the Petroleum Act B.E. 2514 shall be repealed and replaced by the following: "The reports under paragraph 1 shall be treated as confidential and shall not be disclosed till the end of two years from the date of expiration or revocation, as the case may be, of the concession. If the report is concerned with the area relinquished by the concessionaire under Section 36, the period of two years shall commence as from the date of relinquish men t, except in the following circumstances: (1) such disclosure is to be made in the performance of the official service to a Government agency or a person who has the duty to perform under the law or regulations of the official service; (2) such disclosure is the making use of information from such reports in preparing and publishing scientific, technical or statistical reports or records with prior approval of the Minister; provided that the disclosure of commercial information shall be avoided as much as possible; or (3) such disclosure has been made with the written consent of the concessionaire provided that the consent or dissent of the concessionaire shall be given without delay...

Section 9. The provisions of Section 25, Section 26, Section 31, Section 32 and Section 34 of the Petroleum Act B.E. 2514 which have been amended by this Act shall not effect the rights under the Petroleum Exploration and Production Concession which were awarded before the day this Act comes into force.

Section 10. The Minister of Industry shall have the charge and control of the execution of this Act.