共同開發區域에 관한 연구

A Study on Joint Development Zones

&nbsp;&nbsp;No generally accepted definition of &quot;joint development&quot; exists.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Nevertheless, within a true joint development zone, the states concerned enter into a formal agreement in order to pool their sovereign rights for a specifically designated purpose, for example the cooperative development and exploitation of hydrocarbon resources.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;The key advantages that joint development zones offer are the potential to facilitate the resolution of otherwise intractable disputes, unblocking often longstanding deadlocked negotiations; JDZs facilitate the exploration and subsequent exploitation of seabed resources to begin without undue delay while curcumventing the contentious issue of sovereignty; JDZs avoid the need to embark on a potentially time-consuming and potentially highly costly boundary delimitation exercise-particularly where third party means of dispute resolution is the alternative; the drawing of a definitive boundary line is a once and for all process and thus often a lottery with regard to undiscovered resources, and lack of precise data concerning the scale, nature and area of hydrocarbon deposits in the disputed area raises the risk of dividing resources leading to considerable technical and management problems for the future.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;There are at least 20 examples of Joint Zone Agreements already in operation worldwide, the majority of which include previsions governing the exploration for and exploitation of hydrocarbons. This indicates the success and increasing popularity of the joint development concept as a means of resolving intractable disputes. The establishment of a JDZ may be undertaken as a temporary measures.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;In conclusion, where a hydrocarbon deposit straddles an existing international maritime boundary there is no obligation for the parties to unitise that transboundary resources. However, unitisation represents the most efficient and effective way to exploit an oil or gas field straddling a maritime boundary and is increasingly used in such case.