Any mining and petroleum activities are subject to the agreement of a prevision related to the environment preservation and restoration by the competent authority.

The execution of the environmental policy is go-verned by the law stipulated in the “ENVIRONMENTAL CHARTER”.

Details of the application of this law are defined by the statuary texts, entitled “ Mise en Compatiblité des Investissements avec l’Environnement” (M.E.C.I.E) called too “Environmental Impact Study”, relating to the national environmental po-licy and the promotion of the ecological and social equilibrium.

The operations involved in environmental impacts are:

• for the petroleum activities, exploration surveys ( onshore and offshore seismic, exploration and development well), exploitation surveys (gas and oil production and hydrocarbon and feedstock transportation).

• for the mining activities, any surveys in the frame of the exploration permit (PR), those which are within the frame of the exploitation permit (PE) and those which are within both permits (PRE).

For both petroleum and mining activities, the following steps must be performed:

• the establishment of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) attached with an environmental commitment schedule (PEE) with two regimes or establishment of an environmental management schedule (specifications), prior any operation.

• the submission of the quoted EIA report to the Environmental National Office (O.N.E.) which must be assessed by a multi-disciplinary cell.

The issue of environment permit, by the Ministry of Environment.

Any petroleum project or mining project contractors must pay fees equivalent to the 2,5% of their entire initial investments for the EIA evaluation.

Any operation starting will be subject to the ONE decision and the granting of an environmental permit by the Ministry of Environment.

The licensee and/or the petroleum contractors are allowed to relinquish a portion or the entire permit only after receipt of the environmental quitus.