On the search for oil and gas, the reorganization of the legislation is underway

   Exploration of oil and gas: the reorganization of rules and royalties is underway. The Senate Industry Commission has developed a text as a basis for discussion of the so-called "cultivation" of hydrocarbons. It is a question of intervening in a sector that involves national and regional interests, including those of foreign companies interested in carrying out research on our territory.   
   To this end, the Government is given a mandate for the reorganization of the rules to ensure greater regulatory simplification, also to encourage the unblocking of projects, already envisaged by companies operating in the sector, which will be able to bring investment and employment, both directly and in related activities . As for royalties, a reorganization of the current system is also envisaged, with a distribution mainly in favor of the territories where the activities are carried out (residents, municipalities and regions concerned). The finalized text provides in particular that, starting from 1 January 2010, the annual fees for exploration and exploration permits and for cultivation and storage concessions on the mainland, in the territorial sea and on the Italian continental shelf, are determined as follows: a) prospecting permit: 1.000 euro per square kilometre; b) exploration permit: 2 euros per square kilometre; c) research permit in first extension: 4 thousand euros per square kilometre; d) research permit in second extension: 8 euros per square kilometre; e) cultivation concession: 16 euros per square kilometre; f) extended cultivation concession: 24 euros per square kilometre; g) storage concession insistent on the relative cultivation concession: 4 thousand euros per square kilometre; h) storage concession in the absence of a relative cultivation concession: 16 thousand euros per square kilometre.
   The deadline for the presentation of any amendments and agendas to the unified text has been set for the end of the month, June 30 at noon.