Disposal of application for mining licence

(1) Subject to this section, to section 38 and to any relevant agreement of a kind referred to in section 9, on application duly made by the holder of an exclusive prospecting licence the Minister may grant, on such conditions as he may determine, the mining licence applied for. 39 (2) The area of land over which a mining licence is granted shall not exceed ten square kilometres, provided that the applicant for such a licence shall be entitled to delineate and hold more than one mining licence for the area which is the subject of the exclusive prospecting licence. (3) Subject to this section and section 38, on application duly made by a person who is not the holder of an exclusive prospecting licence, the Minister may grant, on such conditions as he may determine, or refuse to grant, the mining licence applied for. (4) To enable him to dispose of an application for the grant of a mining licence, the Minister may, by notice given to the applicant, require the applicant, at his own expense, to commission an independent study by consultants acceptable to the Minister for the purpose of– (a) assessing the feasibility of the programme of mining operations proposed in the application; or (b) assessing or making recommendations about such other matters arising out of, or connected with, the application, as the Minister may specify in the notice.