Section 12(1) in The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development And Regulation) Act, 2002
(1)The administering authority may grant an exploration licence to any person who—(a)is eligible under section 6 for grant of operating right;(b)produces, to the satisfaction of the administering authority, evidence that such person possesses the requisite technical ability and financial resources to undertake exploration operation based on such scientific parameters, as may be prescribed;(c)submits a work programme for the area applied for, prepared in such manner and supported by such data as may be prescribed, setting forth the activities proposed to be carried out during the period of the exploration licence including the intended exploration schedule and methods to be used, an estimated schedule of expenditure, measures to prevent pollution and protect the environment and to monitor the effectiveness of environmental safeguards subject to the modifications which the administering authority may make in such work programme;(d)undertakes not to deviate from the work programme for exploration licence approved by the administering authority; and(e)has fulfilled, to the satisfaction of administering authority, all his statutory obligations under any operating right previously—(i)granted; or(ii)transferred in the prescribed manner,to him.
