(a) The commission may permit geological or geophysical surveys on state lands and may grant permits therefor, but the permit shall not give the permittee any preferential right to an oil and gas lease. The taking of cores and other samples may be conducted on and under state lands; provided, that the commission shall require that a permit first be obtained covering such types of drilling operations for the purpose of obtaining geological samples as the commission may determine by regulation, and upon such terms and conditions as the commission may specify by regulation, but the permit shall not give the permittee any preferential right to an oil and gas lease.

(b) The commission shall require, as a condition to the issuance of any permit for the conduct of geological or geophysical surveys on tide and submerged lands under this section, that the permittee make available to the commission, upon request, all factual and physical exploration results, logs, and records resulting from the operations under the permit. Any factual or physical exploration results, logs, or records which the permittee is required to make available to the commission shall be for the confidential use of the commission and shall not be open to inspection by any person or agency. The commission may, however, make the exploration results, logs, and records available to those governmental agencies which need the information in order to evaluate or regulate those tide and submerged lands and adjacent lands; provided, however, that the commission shall enter into a contractual agreement with those governmental agencies specifying the purposes for which the exploration results, logs, and records may be used and requiring the exploration results, logs, and records to be maintained in confidence. The contractual agreements shall specify the person who will examine and be responsible for the confidentiality of the information. The information shall not be open to inspection by any other person or agency without the written consent of the permittee.

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(c) It is a misdemeanor for any member of the commission, any officer or employee of the commission, or any person performing any function or work assigned to him or her by the commission, or any governmental agency or employee utilizing data pursuant to an agreement of confidentiality provided for in subdivision (b), to disclose to any person who is not a member, officer, employee of the commission, or authorized person pursuant to subdivision (b), or to any person who is not performing any function or work assigned to him or her by the commission, any information obtained from the inspection of factual or physical exploration results, logs, or records, or to use the information for purposes other than those authorized by the commission or for the administration of the functions, responsibilities, and duties vested in the commission by law, except upon the written consent of the permittee making the information available to the commission.

(Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1463, Sec. 4.)