(a) The commission shall have the authority to establish the method of determining whether a new field has been discovered. The commission may require an applicant for a new field discovery to provide the commission with any relevant information required to administer this chapter. Upon determining that a well spudded during 1994 resulted in the discovery of a new field, the commission shall furnish a certificate of new field discovery to the applicant.
(b) For purposes of obtaining a tax credit under this chapter, applications for new field discoveries must be made to the commission within 90 days of the date the discovery well is completed in the proposed new field. In no event will an application for new field discovery be accepted by the commission, for purposes of obtaining a tax credit, after 180 days from the cessation of drilling operations.