LAND NOMINATIONS

PLEASE NOTE: The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) has undertaken a review of its policies and practices in respect of rights management. Guidelines on the Issuance of Exploration Licences have been revised and are available here. Significant changes to these Guidelines include:

• reference to terms and conditions found in recent Calls for Bids;
• Period 1 is changed from five to six years;
• a possible qualification requirement for the bidder and/or licence holders;
• an annual Call for Bids cycle rather than semi-annual, and;
• the establishment of a rolling three-year forecast for Board posted Calls for Bids lands.

Section 4 of the Guidelines refers to Nominations. As part of the annual cycle for Call for Bids, land nominations must be received by December 1st of each year to be considered for the next Call for Bids. To accommodate the potential for nominations to be considered for a May 2012 Call for Bids, the CNSOPB is re-instituting its practice of considering nominations received, effective immediately, and will continue to accept nominations up until the close of business on March 16th, 2012. Nominations made between March 17th, 2012 and December 1st, 2012 will be considered for an April 2013 Call for Bids.

Issuing an Exploration Licence usually begins at the nomination phase. Crown lands can be nominated for consideration in future Call for Bids by any person, company or posted by the Board. Nominations can be made at any time during the year. The Board has established an annual cycle for an April Call for Bids. The closing date to nominate lands for consideration in the April Call for Bids is December 1st.

The Board reviews these nominations placing high priority on identifying known environmentally sensitive areas and fisheries concerns. It also evaluates a number of factors, including: water depth, proximity to infrastructure, prospectivity of the lands and data availability. The Board also consults with appropriate federal and provincial government agencies to receive public policy input. Nominations can be submitted to the Director, Rights and Resources and must follow the Land Division Guidelines.

For Significant Discovery Licence nominations, the Crown reserve land must be subject to a Declaration of Significant Discovery. Production Licence nominations must be Crown reserve lands subject to a Declaration of Commercial Discovery.