Fourth Session,

46th General Assembly

60 Elizabeth II,

BILL 15

AN ACT TO AMEND THE PETROLEUM AND

NATURAL GAS ACT

Received

and Read the First Time ...................................................................

Second

Reading ..............................................................................................

Committee ......................................................................................................

Third

Reading .................................................................................................

Royal

Assent ...................................................................................................

HONOURABLE SHAWN

SKINNER

Minister of Natural

Resources

Ordered to be printed by

the Honourable House of Assembly

EXPLANATORY NOTES

This Bill would amend the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act to clarify

and confirm matters which may be the subject of regulations made under

section

39 of that Act. The Bill would confirm regulation-making authority with respect

to the following:

respecting entry upon property

and premises at reasonable times for the purpose of inspection or audit;

respecting search and seizure

of documents where a person has failed to provide or failed to accurately

provide records which may be required under the regulations, or where a

contravention of the Act or the regulations is suspected, and respecting the

process for obtaining a warrant authorizing that search and seizure;

respecting indemnification of the

minister and other persons authorized under the Act from legal liability in the

lawful performance of duties under the Act or the regulations; and

respecting restrictions on the

disclosure of information by or on behalf of the minister under the Act or the

regulations, and creating a

summary

conviction offence where that provision is contravened.

The Bill would also confirm that previously

made regulations were validly enacted.

A BILL

AN ACT TO AMEND THE PETROLEUM AND NATURAL

GAS ACT

Analysis

S.39 Amdt.

Regulations

2. Regulations validly enacted

Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor and

House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as follows:

RSNL1990 cP-10

as amended

Section 39 of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act is amended by adding immediately

after paragraph (e.7) the following:

(e.8) respecting entry onto property or premises by

the minister or a person authorized by the minister at reasonable times for the

purpose of inspection or audit;

(e.9) respecting the search and seizure of

documents, including the circumstances in which and the process by which an application

may be made to the court to authorize that search and seizure;

(e.10) respecting the indemnification of the minister

and other persons authorized under this Act or the regulations from legal

liability in the lawful performance of his or her duties under this Act or the

regulations;

(e.11) respecting restrictions against use or disclosure

of information obtained by or on behalf of the minister under this Act and the

regulations, and authorizing the creation of a

summary conviction offence and

the penalties which may be imposed where that provision is contravened;

Regulations

validly enacted

2. Notwithstanding t he coming into force of this Act,

regulations respecting matters referred to in this Act made under the authority

section 39 of the Petroleum and

Natural Gas Act before this Act came into force shall be considered to have

been validly enacted.

William E. Parsons, Queen's Printer