September 2015
Key dates for upcoming petroleum exploration opportunities
Opportunity
Closing date
2015 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release prequalification of the cash-bid round
Thursday 15 October 2015
2015 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release –
round 1 work program bidding
Thursday 29 October 2015
2014 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release –
re-release areas
Thursday 29 October 2015
Industry consultation on voluntary model templates for Annual Title
Assessment reports
Closing Friday 2 October 2015
As highlighted in the last APN News, NOPTA is undertaking an industry consultation on the
design and implementation of voluntary Annual Title Assessment Report (ATAR) model
templates for Petroleum Exploration Permits, Retention Leases and Production Licences.
NOPTA welcomes your feedback on the proposed draft templates. Please visit the NOPTA
website for further information including an explanatory factsheet that provides an overview
of the consultation process, the context on why NOPTA is seeking to introduce ATAR
templates and further information on how NOPTA uses ATARs for its advice functions.
NOPTA will also gauge interest for group feedback sessions in early October, individual
face-to-face consultations are also welcome.
Submissions can be emailed to reporting@nopta.gov.au by Friday 2 October 2015.
For more information please contact NOPTA by email on reporting@nopta.gov.au.
AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM NEWS | www.industry.gov.au
Amendments to Part 5 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage
(Resource Management and Administration) Regulations 2011
On 3 September 2015, the Federal Executive Council approved amendments to Part 5 of
the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Resource Management and
Administration) Regulations 2011 (wells regulations). The new wells regulations implement
the outcomes arising from a review of the wells regulations involving extensive consultation
with the offshore petroleum industry, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration
Association (APPEA) and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental
Management Authority (NOPSEMA).
The new well regulations ensure that the regulatory regime for the integrity of offshore wells
reflects leading practice and objectives-based regulation. Specifically:
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The remit of the regulatory regime encompasses the entire life of a well and not just
standalone well activities.
The Well Operations Management Plan (WOMP) is the sole permissioning document
for the well and well activities, so that individual well activity approvals are no longer
required. Well activity approvals have been replaced with a well activity notification
scheme.
Consistency has increased, where appropriate, between the regulatory processes
under the Wells Regulations and the processes set out in the Offshore Petroleum
and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Safety) Regulations 2009 and the Offshore
Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Environment) Regulations 2009, to
improve clarity and reduce regulatory burden for titleholders.
There is increased flexibility for industry in how it achieves compliance and ensures
that regulation is able to adapt to changing technology and innovation.
To assist in the transition to the new wells regulations, there will be a delayed
commencement period, with the amended regulations to come into effect
on 1 January 2016. The delayed commencement will allow titleholders additional time to
understand and prepare to comply with the new requirements. There is also a two-year
transition period built into the amended regulations to allow for existing WOMPs (and
associated well activity approvals) to remain in force until the end of the initial two-years
(until 1 January 2018) or if a revision is required – whichever time comes earlier – at which
time a WOMP must be submitted under the new regulations.
The wells regulations and the accompanying Explanatory Statement are available on the
ComLaw website. For more information about the review of the wells regulations please
contact: offshoreregulations@industry.gov.au.
The conclusion of this review and amendment to regulations is part of the Australian
Government’s implementation of the ‘Final Government Response to the Report of the
Montara Commission of Inquiry’. The Department of Industry and Science would like to
thank the offshore petroleum industry, APPEA and NOPSEMA for their input to the review
and the new regulations.
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Postal Address
Email
Website
GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
petroleum.exploration@industry.gov.au
www.petroleum-acreage.gov.au
AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM NEWS | www.industry.gov.au