The Russian Duma passed a bill in the first reading on 19 March on repealing payments for information on subsoils obtained as a result of state geological studies on deposits from federal agencies. The document, which was submitted by the Natural Resources Ministry, envisions changes to the law On Subsoils and On Product Sharing Agreements. It is expected that making this information free will increase the number of potential subsoil lessees taking part in tenders and auctions for the right to use subsoil resources.
Besides this, the authors of the bill believe that making use of the full breadth of geological information in drafting projects to study subsoil resources and in exploring and developing fields will help subsoil users fulfill their licensing conditions and help small and medium enterprises gain access to the geological information they require.
