The data currently available mainly come from the activities of the companies that have undertaken mining operations on French territory. Since 1958, the administration has collected information on wells and geophysical data acquisition surveys.

With the exception of well data collected during onshore hydrocarbon exploration activities that is immediately communicable to a third party, the data collected do not fall in the public domain (unless the author of the works authorizes it) before a period of 10 years from the date of their acquisition.

The list of data collected as well as the confidentiality rules governing their use are summarized in Appendix 2 of the "Guide de bonnes pratiques sur les données pétrolières du sous-sol français".

Reference texts of the mining code:

    Articles L.411-1 to L.411-3 for prior declarations
    Articles L.412-1 to L.412-6 for the prerogatives of public persons
    Articles L.413-1 to L.413-3 for the publicity and the transfer of the collected information