February 2015
Amendment to the proposed areas for the 2015 Offshore Petroleum
Exploration Acreage Release
Since notification of the areas proposed for the 2015 Offshore Petroleum Exploration
Acreage Release (Acreage Release) in the 9 December 2014 edition of the Australian
Petroleum News, changes to the proposed areas have been made.


Browse Basin - additional area on the Yampi Shelf – W15-18
Gippsland Basin – re-shaping of proposed areas V15-2 and V15-3
An updated map outlining the 29 proposed areas currently shortlisted for inclusion is at the
end of this newsletter. Please note the proposed areas and associated boundaries remain
subject to change, until the 2015 Acreage Release is officially launched by the
Hon Ian Macfarlane MP, Minister for Industry and Science, at the Australian Petroleum
Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) conference in Melbourne on 18 May 2015.
Any work or forward planning undertaken by companies in relation to the proposed areas
prior to the official launch is done at the commercial risk and cost of individual operators.
Without prejudice to the final content of the 2015 Acreage Release, updated shape files of
the proposed areas as set out in the map below are available on the department’s website.
2014 Cash Bidding auction results
The cash bidding auction for the 2014 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release
was held on 5 February 2015. Three bidders prequalified for the auction. At the close of the
auction, no bids had been received and as a result, areas W14-20, W14-21, W14-22 and
W14-23 have reverted to vacant acreage.
Petroleum exploration opportunities –
2014 Acreage Release round 2
Closing date Thursday 2 April 2015
This round includes 12 areas and two rerelease areas from round 1. Entities that have
entered into a Good Standing Arrangement with the Joint Authority are encouraged to
review the rerelease areas. It is the responsibility of entities that have entered into a Good
Standing Arrangement to maintain good standing with the Joint Authority.
AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM NEWS | www.petroleum-acreage.gov.au
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Geoscience Australia provides precompetitive geological data associated with the release
areas at the cost of transfer; the data package can be ordered by emailing
ausgeodata@ga.gov.au.
Please note the website contains the most up to date information.
Area
Basin
Sub basin
AC14-1
Bonaparte
Vulcan
W14-1
Bonaparte
Petrel
W14-6
Northern Carnarvon
Rankin Platform
W14-8, W14-9, W14-10, W14-11,
W14-12 and W14-13
Northern Carnarvon
Exmouth Plateau
W14-17 and W14-18
Northern Carnarvon
Exmouth
W14-19
Bight
Eyre
W14-3
Browse
Caswell
W14-14
Northern Carnarvon
Barrow
Re-release areas
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AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM NEWS | www.petroleum-acreage.gov.au
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2015 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release – Proposed Areas as at February 2015