NAMR is a specialized body of the central public administration, under the subordination of the Government, legal person under the direct coordination of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet.
It is in charge with applying the provisions of the Mining Law No. 85/2003 and Petroleum Law No. 238/2004 in the field of prospecting for/exploration/exploitation of all mineral resources, including petroleum and petroleum transportation through the national pipeline system, public property of the State.
Its competencies are as follows:
Regulates the mining activities and petroleum operations, stimulating the best use of mineral resources, public property of the
Administrates the mineral resources, including petroleum and the national geological database, in accordance with the law;
Issues licenses/permits/agreements, in accordance with the Mining and Petroleum Laws;
Negotiates and establishes, together with other concedents of the public domain of the State, as the case may be, the clauses and terms of the petroleum agreements and mining licenses/permits;
Issues technical regulations and instructions for the application of the Petroleum and Mining Laws;
Establishes the national database of reserves, based on the confirmation of petroleum reserves, and the verification and registration of mineral reserves;
Manages, completes and re-evaluates the informatical geological basis concerning the mineral resources in
Undertakes its competencies conferred by the law with regard to taxes, royalties and tariffs;
Observes the application of environmental measures, during and after the conduct of petroleum operations or mining activities;
Gives clearance for the documentation prepared for the execution of exploration and exploitation works, as well as for the cessation of petroleum operations or mining activities, only after environmental measures have been approved, in accordance with the law;
Controls the way how the petroleum operations and mining activities are conducted by the Compartments for Territorial Inspection.
Controls the observance by the title holders of the provisions of the petroleum agreements, of the licences and permits, as well as of the norms and regulatios, and technical instructions in the field and takes measures for their implementation.
Gives clearance for the annual exploitation programs prepared by Title holders
Follows and verifies the production of mineral resources in order to calculate the value of royalties owned by the holders of mining licences and of petroleum agreements.
Orders cessation of the exploration/exploitation works conducted outside the legal limits of the perimeter, as well as those being conducted without approved documentation and those which, by their manner of conduct may lead to irrational exploitation or degradation of the deposit, until the cause is removed;
Takes note of and sanctions contravention in the field of petroleum operations and mining activities, and notifies offences to competent authorities, in accordance with the Penal Law;
Gives clearance for the technical regulations/instructions/prescriptions regarding the design, exploitation, putting into operation or abandonment of a portion of the national petroleum pipeline system;
Establishes hydrogeological protection perimeters for mineral/ thermomineral water deposits, as well as mud and therapeutical peat deposits and gives clearance for the establishment of sanitary protection perimeters;
Establishes the Mining Book and the Petroleum Book and keeps them updated;
Organizes promotional activities for mineral resources/reserves development, together with interested ministries;
Certifies the technical competence of physical and legal persons that prepare geological and expertise documentation or conduct exploration/exploitation works, as well as natural persons that prepare geological and expertise documentation or conduct exploration works;
Approves cessation, care and maintenance or abandonment of geological works;
Gives clearance for mine/open pit closure.
The diversity of the
geological formations and the complexity of deposit types, together with the fact
that
In the current
exploration and exploitation Public Offers, NAMR provided many mining perimeters for
different minerals.
A new Public Offer for
exploitation will be announced and published in NAMR's web site:
Main mineral resources/reserves recorded by NAMR at 1st January 2006 Report are:
| 1. | LIGNITE | 13,828 mil. tons |
| 2. | HARDCOAL |
2,226 mil. tons |
| 3. | COPPER ORES (Cu < 0.40%) | 1,827 mil. tons |
| 4. | COPPER ORES (Cu > 0.40%) |
977mil. tons |
| 5. | POLYMETALLIC ORES |
368 mil. tons |
| 6. | NATURAL SALT | 35,696 mil. tons |
Since the Mining Law was approved, NAMR has concluded 6,847 exploration/exploitation licenses and permits with Romanian and foreign companies, as follows:
* Coal
125
* Mineral Waters
433
* Nonmetalic substances 5,838
and useful rocks
* Other substances
149
In the current exploration and exploitation public offering, NAMR proposes many perimeters for different minerales.
Mining Law*
Mineral resources are exclusive public property
and belong to the Romanian State.
The mineral resources which are the subject of
the present law are: coal, ferrous and non ferrous ores, aluminum rocks and minerals,
noble, radioactive, rare and disperse metals, salts, non metallic useful substances,
useful rocks, precious and semiprecious stones, peat, mud and therapeutically peat,
bituminous rocks, non combustible gas, geothermal waters, gas associated to them, natural
mineral waters (gaseous and non-gaseous), mineral therapeutically waters, as well as
mining residues from barren dumps and tailing ponds.
Mining activities will be conducted on the
basis of an exclusive license, concluded and signed by NAMR with a legal person.
Romanian and foreign legal persons are treated as
equal.
Exploration Licenses
The exploration license is granted for an initial term of maximum five years
with a renewal right for three years.
The agreed exploration program shall be carried out in whole the until exploration license expires
The Title Holder has the right to reduce the exploration area, with the
Competent Authority agreement, on the basis of phases reports, providing that all
the necessary environment works were executed, having the obligation to carry out
the exploration works for the first year.
The Title Holder shall pay an annual fee in advance.
The Title Holder has the right to obtain the exploitation license upon request.
Exploitation Licenses
The exploitation licence is granted for an initial period of 20 years, with
the right of continuation for succesive periods of five years each.
The Title Holder will pay an annual tax on surface and a mining royalty,
calculated as a percentage from the value of production.
The Title Holder has the following rights:
- to obtain, keep and use the existing data and information related to the license area;
- to dispose of the quantities of produced mineral resources;
- to associate with other legal persons;
- to have access to the lands.
Oil and Gas
Background of the Romanian Petroleum
Industry
- 1857 - FIRST RECORDED CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION IN
THE WORLD
- 1909 - FIRST NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION
- 1913 - FIRST EUROPEAN GAS PIPING SYSTEM WAS BUILT IN
TRANSILVANIA
- 1935 - 6th PRODUCER IN THE WORLD - 8.4
million tons
- 1976 - PEAK OF OIL PRODUCTION - 14.6 million tons
- 1986 - PEAK OF NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION - 36.2 billion C.M.
- 2005 - CURRENT CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION - 5.5 million tons
- 2005 - CURRENT NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION - 13.0 billion C.M.
Current Status (Exploration Blocks)
under agreement
PETROM
- I Adjud, II Slanic Bai, III Berca-Arbanasi, IV Valenii de Munte, V Baicoi,
VI Targoviste, VII Urziceni Vest, VIII Urziceni Est, IX Bucuresti, X Craiova,
XI Strehaia, XII Pitesti, XIII Targu Jiu, XIV Marghita, XV Oradea, XVI Arad,
XVII Timisoara, XVIII Istria, XIX Neptun.
ROMGAZ - Transilvania Nord,
ROMGAZ
WINTERSHALL RG3 Transilvania Sud
EUROPA OIL&GAS EPI-3 Brates
MORAVSKE NAFTOVE DOLY
ROMPETROL EPI-5 Gresu,
EPI-6 Nereju, EIII-5
CENTAUR
EII -1 Sud Bucuresti
PALADIN
STERLING
Pelican, 15 Midia
GTI
EII-2 Pancota
PANNONIAN
EIII-11 Valea Jiului
AURELIAN
EUROPA OIL & GAS
MILLENNIUM
EIII-4
AURELIAN
ROMGAZ
EUROPA OIL & GAS
MILLENNIUM
EIII-1 Brodina, EIII-3 Cuejdiu
TOREADOR
EIV - 2 Viperesti, EV - 1 Moinesti
REGAL
EIV - 1 Suceava, EV - 2 Barlad
AMRO GOLD
EV - 3
300 Blocks under agreement with SNP PETROM
121 Blocks under agreement with SNGN ROMGAZ
39 Blocks under agreement with Other Companies
(local and foreign companies)
Bidding Procedures
Block general data packages include seismic sections and logs.
The purchase of a license to use a block general data package and the signing a
confidentially agreement are conditions to participate in the round.
Additional data both from the block and adjacent open area are available.
A company may bid for one or more open blocks in its own right, or on behalf of a
consortium.
For purposes of evaluation by NAMR, the bidding package shall contain:
- the qualification document showing both technical and financial capabilities
- a minimum exploration program and expenditure commitment.
The bidding Procedure and Model Concession Agreement are available upon request to NAMR
Petroleum resources are public property and belong to the
Petroleum Operations shall be achieved on the basis of petroleum agreements signed with
NAMR
Petroleum Agreement stipulates the minimum compulsory work program.
Romanian and foreign entities are treated as equal.
Non discriminatory right of acces to pipeline and other facilities.
Export right for the produced petroleum.
Assignment right.
Flexibility: most of its provisions can be negotiated.
Fiscal and commercial stability are guaranteed.
Concession Agreement Model*
The term of the petroleum agreement shall be not more than 45 years including
exploration.
The initial exploration period is negotiable, but no more than 5 years.
Additional exploration period can be negotiated.
Minimum exploration work program and related expenditure, including seismic and drilling,
are negotiable.
A full environmental study shall be undertaken prior to commencement of the minimum work
program.
A bank guarantee shall be required to cover timely performance of the minimum exploration
program.
The royalty level for hydrocarbon production.
Unitisation shall be required when necessary.
Training of Romanian personnel and technology transfer shall be required.
Relinquishment of portions of the block is allowed up to the entire block if there is not
commercial discovery.
- Application for prospecting permits
- Issued by NAMR for open acreage, on non-exclusive basis.
- Proposals for new blocks in open areas
- Right granted by the: Petroleum Law.
The new blocks are selected and offered for concession in the next
bidding round
The new blocks are selected and proposed for concession in next semestrial
public offering
- Participation in the Licensing Rounds
- Concession agreements for petroleum exploration and production signed with NAMR
and approved by Government.
- Exploration licenses signed with NAMR;
- Exploitation licenses signed with NAMR and approved by Government.
For further information, please refer to NAMR's web site:
- Mining Law, Petroleum Law, Environmental Law and other useful legal information.
- Oil&Gas and Solid Minerals Licensing Rounds.
- Concession Agreement Models.
- World Bank financed Projects in Mining Sector.
NATIONAL AGENCY FOR MINERAL RESOURCES |