Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948 Section 3

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,--

(a) the expressions 'lessor' and 'lessee' respectively include a licensor and licensee;

(b) 'mine' means any excavation for the purpose of searching for or obtaining¹[mineral oils] and includes an oilwell;

(c)¹["mineral oils"] include natural gas and petroleum;

(d) 'mining lease' means a lease granted for the purpose of searching for, winning, working, getting, making merchantable, carrying away or disposing of¹[mineral oils] or for purposes connected therewith, and includes an exploring or a prospecting licence;

(e) 'oilfield' means any area where any operation for the purpose of obtaining natural gas and petroleum, crude oil, refined oil, partially refined oil and any of the products of petroleum in a liquid or solid state, is to be or is being carried on.

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1. Substituted for 'minerals' by the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957 (67 of 1957), Section 32 and Schedule III (with effect from 1-6-1958).