Law on Geological Explorations.

This Law stipulates the conditions and methodology of execution of geological explorations and utilization of results of these explorations, methodology of programming geological exploratory works and financing thereof, as well as supervision of implementation of provisions stipulated herein.
Pursuant to this Law, geological explorations are explorations undertaken with the aim of: learning about the development, composition and structure of the earth crust; discovering and ascertaining the quantity and quality of mineral deposits; establishing geologic characteristics of soil for construction of buildings; planning of space and explorations undertaken for the purpose of environmental protection.
Pursuant to this Law, mineral deposits are: all types of coal and oil shale; hydrocarbons in liquid and gaseous state (oil and gas) and other natural gasses; radioactive mineral deposits; metallic mineral deposits and their usable compounds; technogenous mineral deposits; non-metallic mineral deposits and raw materials for building materials; all types of salts and salt waters; underground waters and sources of geothermal energies.