The C-NLOPB manages the rights issuance process on behalf of the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The C-NLOPB’s Exploration Department is responsible for management and operation of the scheduled land tenure system including the Call for Nominations, Call for Bids and Sector Identification processes. A number of Departments, including Safety, Operations, Environment and Resource Management would also be involved in regulating exploration activities as well.

Licencing is managed through the C-NLOPB’s Registrar and Deputy Registrar of the Land Registry. The Board issues exploration rights in the form of exploration licences for defined periods of time. Licences are awarded from a predictable and scheduled land tenure framework involving a call for nominations (Area of Interest), a call for nominations (Parcels), and a call for bids (Parcels) for a specific region. The company which submits the highest bid at the end of the bidding cycle in terms of exploration expenditure commitments over a six-year period, will be awarded exploration rights for a specific parcel of land. Depending on the results of exploration activity, the C-NLOPB could issue further rights in the form of significant discovery licences or production licences.

The Board facilitates the rights issuance process, but does not “promote” the Canada- Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area.