Offshore Areas (Existence of Mineral Resources) Rules, 2024

*REGISTRY NO. D. L.-33004/99* *REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99* *The Gazette of India* *CG-DL-E-07062024-254602* *EXTRAORDINARY* *PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (i)* *PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY* *No. 294]* *NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2024/JYAISHTHA 16, 1946* *3426 GI/2024* *(1)* *MINISTRY OF MINES* *NOTIFICATION* *New Delhi, the 6th June, 2024* *[F. No M.VI-1/7/2023-Mines-VI]* *Dr. VEENA KUMARI DERMAL, Jt. Secy.* *G.S.R. 315(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by section 35 of the Offshore Areas Mineral* *(Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 (17 of 2003), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules,* *namely:-* *1. Short title and commencement.—(1) These rules may be called the Offshore Areas (Existence of Mineral* *Resources) Rules, 2024.* *(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.* *2. Application.—These rules shall apply to all minerals except —* *(i) mineral oils and hydrocarbons described in sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Act;* *(ii) minerals specified in Part B of the First Schedule to the Mines and Minerals (Development and* *Regulation) Act, 1957 (67 of 1957) (having grade equal to or greater than the threshold value as* *notified by the Central Government from time to time).* *3. Definitions.- (1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, -* *(a) "Act" means the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 (17 of 2003);* *(b) "conforming" means conforming to the parameters specified in Schedule I as near as* *circumstances of each case may require;* *(c) "existence of mineral resources" means the existence of mineral resources established as* *specified in rule 4, or rule 5, as the case may be;* *(d) "threshold value of minerals" means the limits specified by the Indian Bureau of Mines from* *time to time based on the beneficiability and marketability of a mineral for a given area and given* *time, below which the material obtained after mining may be discarded as waste;* *(e) "Schedule" means a Schedule annexed to these rules;* *(f) the expressions Reconnaissance Survey (G4), Preliminary Exploration (G3), General Exploration* *(G2), Detailed Exploration (G1), Reconnaissance Mineral Resource (334), Inferred Mineral* *Resource (333), Indicated Mineral Resource (332), Measured Mineral Resource (331), Probable* *Mineral Reserve (121 and 122), Proved Mineral Reserve (111), Feasibility Mineral Resource* *(211), Pre-Feasibility Mineral Resource (221 and 222), Modifying Factors, Geological Study (F3),* *Pre-Feasibility Study (F2), Feasibility Study (F1), Intrinsically Economic (E3), Potentially* *Economic (E2) and Economic (E1) shall have the meanings as assigned to them in Part-I of* *Schedule-I.* *(2) The words and expressions used in these rules, but not defined, shall have the same meanings, as* *assigned to them in the Act or the rules made thereunder.* *4. Existence of mineral resources for grant of production lease.—An area shall be considered to be having* *existence of mineral resources in accordance with the second proviso of section 6 and sub-section (1) of* *section 13 of the Act for auction to grant production lease, if in respect of such area, —* *(a) at least General Exploration (G2) has been completed to establish Indicated Mineral Resource* *(332); and* *(b) a geological study report has been prepared conforming to Part IV of Schedule- I.* *5. Existence of mineral resources for grant of composite licence.— (1) An area may be notified for auction* *to grant a composite licence in terms of section 12 of the Act, if, in respect of such area, —* *(a) at least Reconnaissance Survey (G4) has been completed to estimate Reconnaissance Mineral* *Resource (334) or mineral potentiality of the mineral block has been identified based on the* *available geoscience data but resources are yet to be established; and* *(b) a geological study report has been prepared conforming to Part IV of Schedule-I.* *(2) Any person intending to obtain composite licence in respect of an area may submit a proposal to the* *administering authority in accordance with the provisions of section 12 of the Act in the format specified in* *Schedule-II along with available geoscience data and for the purpose to notify the area for auction to grant a* *composite licence.* *(3) In order to identify mineral potentiality of an area based on the available geoscience data where resources* *are yet to be established as referred in clause (a) of sub-rule (1), including in any area proposed by any person* *under sub-rule (2), the administering authority shall place it before a committee consisting of the following* *members, namely:-* *(a) administering authority – Convenor;* *(b) Deputy Director General of Geological Survey of India (Marine and Coastal Survey Division) –* *Member;* *(c) Chief Mining Geologist, Indian Bureau of Mines – Member.* *(4) On being satisfied of mineral potentiality of the area, the committee may recommend the area for* *notification for auction with such alteration in it as may be required or may reject it.* *(5) The committee shall recommend or reject the proposal within a period of sixty days of its receipt by the* *administering authority and thereafter the administering authority shall notify the recommended area as* *suitable for auction within a period of sixty days of such recommendation.* *(6) On completion of exploration operations under sub-section (3) and sub-section (5) of section 12 of the* *Act, geological study report shall be prepared by the licensee in accordance with the parameters specified in* *rule 4, which shall include at least a Pre-Feasibility Study Report to establish Probable Mineral Reserve (121* *or 122) conforming to Part V of Schedule-I.* *6. Relaxation. Depending upon the local geological setup, mode of occurrence and nature of mineralisation,* *the administering authority, with the previous approval of the Central Government, may relax the exploration* *norms as specified in Part-III of Schedule-I, in whole or in part for any mineral or any area.* *SCHEDULE-I* *[See rules 3, 4, 5, 6]* *The terms used, pertaining to levels of exploration and the category of resources and reserves achieved through* *various levels of exploration have been defined in Part-I of the Schedule-I. The parameters for establishing the* *existence of mineral content in an area in terms of quantity and grade have been specified in Part-II, Part-III, Part-IV* *and Part-V of the Schedule-I.* *Part - I Definitions* *The definitions and codes used in this Part are proposed following the United Nations Framework Classification* *(UNFC) and Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO) Template and have been* *suitably modified to suit the needs of the country.* *(a) Definition of stages of exploration:* *The exploration for any mineral deposit involves four stages namely, Reconnaissance Survey (G4),* *Preliminary Exploration (G3), General Exploration (G2) and Detailed Exploration (G1) and these stages of* *exploration lead to four resource categories, namely, Reconnaissance Mineral Resource, Inferred Mineral* *Resource, Indicated Mineral Resource and Measured Mineral Resource respectively reflecting the degree of* *geological assurance, which are explained as follows:* *Sl. No.* | *Stages of Exploration* | *Definition with explanation* 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