Crown Minerals Act 1991

Permits, access to land, and other matters - Permits, access to land, and title notations - Changes to permits

37: Process for Minister's proposal to change work programme for petroleum mining permit

You could also call this:

"How the Minister can suggest changes to a petroleum mining work programme"

Illustration for Crown Minerals Act 1991

If you have a petroleum mining permit, the Minister can propose changes to your work programme. The Minister can do this if they think it will help get as much petroleum as possible out of the ground, using good industry practice. You will be told about the proposed changes and why they are being suggested.

The Minister will look at information about the petroleum field to decide if changes are needed. If you do not agree with the proposed changes, you can ask for an independent expert to make a decision. You have 30 days to ask for this, or longer if the Minister allows it.

If you ask for an independent expert, one will be chosen by you and the Minister, or by the President of the New Zealand Law Society if you cannot agree. If you do not ask for an independent expert within the time limit, the changes proposed by the Minister will be made to your permit.

You can find more information about the law that allows the Minister to make these changes in the Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2013.

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This page was last updated on 14 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM246355.

Topics:

Environment and resources > Farming and fishingBusiness > Industry rules

36: Change to permit, or

"The Minister can change your permit if you agree or ask for a change, and you get a new certificate."

38: Determination by independent expert, or

"An independent expert makes a decision about a permit change after looking at what the Minister and permit holder say in writing."

Part 1BPermits, access to land, and other matters
Permits, access to land, and title notations: Changes to permits

37Process for Minister's proposal to change work programme for petroleum mining permit

The work programme for a petroleum mining permit granted on or after the commencement of this section may be changed in accordance with this section if the change is necessary to maximise the economic recovery of the petroleum in accordance with good industry practice.
If the Minister considers, on the basis of information on the characteristics and extent of the petroleum field received by the Minister at any time during the currency of the permit, that a change to the work programme is necessary, the Minister must notify the permit holder of the proposed change and set out the reasons why it is being proposed.
If the permit holder and the Minister cannot agree on the proposed changes, the permit holder may notify the Minister within 30 days after the date of the notification under subsection (2) (or within any further time that the Minister may allow) that the permit holder requires a determination by an independent expert on—
whether the work programme should be changed to maximise the economic recovery of the petroleum in accordance with good industry practice; and
what any change should be.

If the permit holder does not exercise the right under subsection (3) within the time specified by or allowed under that subsection, the conditions of the permit are deemed to be changed as proposed by the Minister.
If the permit holder exercises the right under subsection (3) within the time specified by or allowed under that subsection, an independent expert must be appointed by agreement between the Minister and the permit holder, or, failing agreement, by the President of the New Zealand Law Society (or his or her delegate) on the application of either party.

Notes

Section 37: replaced, on 24 May 2013, by section 30 of the Crown Minerals Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 14).