Cap. 156 Art. 2Interpretation.

In this Act unless the context otherwise requires:

"applicant" means any entity that submits an application for the grant of a licence in accordance with this Act;

"by-products" means the products derived from the processing of petroleum; "competent authority" means the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta, or any other body or person as the Minister may prescribe and designate as the competent authority for different purposes in terms of different provisions of this Act; "entity" means any natural or legal person or a group of such persons, including a limited liability company constituted in terms of the Companies Act, or a similar body corporate established or incorporated outside Malta, which applies for, is likely to apply for, or holds a licence pursuant to this Act; "exploration" means the search for petroleum by any appropriate method which may include drilling; "internal waters" shall have the same meaning as is assigned to it by article 2 of the Continental Shelf Regulations;

"licence" means an authorisation granted pursuant to this Act; "Malta" shall have the same meaning as is assigned to it by article 124 of the Constitution of Malta and includes the seabed and subsoil of the submarine area within the internal waters and territorial waters of Malta; "Minister" means the Prime Minister of Malta and includes such other Minister, public officer or authority as may be authorised by him, from time to time, for any of the purposes of this Act; "petroleum" means all solid, liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons existing in their natural state, including crude oil or natural gasoline, natural hydrocarbon gases as well as all related minerals or substances produced in association with such hydrocarbons; "production" means the development and extraction of petroleum or any treatment in order to make it marketable and the storage and the transportation of the petroleum and its by-products to the loading installations for further disposal. Any treatment referred to in this definition shall not include refining; "prospection" means the attempt to locate petroleum in a specific area by any appropriate method other than drilling; "territorial waters" shall have the same meaning assigned to it by article 3 of the Territorial Waters and Contiguous Zone Act.