A Guide to Hydrocarbon Licences in Denmark, Exploration and ...

sions about such statements shall keep confidential any information that may come to their knowledge
through the committee with respect to the terms on which licences are to be granted based on
the procedure outlined in subsection (1)(i), until the date on which an invitation is made to the public.
(3) The Minister for Climate and Energy may refrain from granting a licence on the basis of the
applications received when the procedure referred to in subsection (1)(i) above is employed.
(4) The terms and conditions on which licences are to be granted when employing the procedure
outlined in subsection (1)(i) may not be published until the date on which an invitation is made to
the public.
(5) The Minister for Climate and Energy shall lay down more detailed rules and regulations about
the granting of licences pursuant to section 23, including about the information to be submitted in
applications for exploration and storage licences.
23c.-(1) The licences mentioned in section 23b(1) above shall be granted on the basis of selection
criteria concerning:
(a) the applicants’ expertise and financial base, and
(b) the exploration activities that the applicants offer to carry out, or the way in which the applicants
intend to carry out storage or other use of the subsoil in the area in question.
(2) Moreover, the Minister for Climate and Energy may decide that the amount that applicants are
prepared to pay for the issuance of a licence shall form part of the selection criteria.
(3) Further, the Minister for Climate and Energy may set up other relevant, objective and nondiscriminatory
criteria, in order to make a final choice among applicants considered to have equal merit
based on an evaluation made according to the selection criteria established in subsection (1)(a) and (b),
and possibly subsection (2).
(4) In addition to the criteria mentioned in subsections (1)-(3) above, when evaluating applications
the Minister for Climate and Energy may attach weight to any lack of efficiency or non-compliance
with obligations under previous licences.
(5) The Minister for Climate and Energy may stipulate that a procedure for granting licences shall
include a provision to the effect that the Minister shall determine the composition of any groups of
companies jointly to be granted the licences mentioned in subsection (1). The composition of such
groups shall be determined on the basis of one or more of the criteria established in subsections (1)-
(4).
(6) The Minister for Climate and Energy may stipulate that a procedure for granting licences shall
include a provision to the effect that the Minister shall appoint the operator of a group of companies
jointly to be granted licences. The appointment shall be based on the operator’s expertise and possibly
other of the criteria established in subsections (1)-(4).
(7) The criteria pursuant to subsections (1)-(6) shall be published together with the notices
inviting the applications referred to section 23(b)(1). Any changes made to these criteria shall be
published in the same way.
23d.-(1) Exploration and storage or other use of the subsoil shall be carried on in a safe and
appropriate manner.
(2) Before storage or other use of the subsoil and any measures aimed at such activities are
initiated, a plan for the activities, including the organization of production and the layout of
installations, as well as a plan for corrective measures in case of leakages or significant
irregularities that involve a risk of leakage from a storage complex shall be approved by the
Minister for Climate and Energy.