Offshore petroleum exploration in Australia operates under a work program bidding system. Before applying for an exploration permit, potential applicants should familiarise themselves with:
- applications for exploration areas;
- bid assessment criteria; and
- permit conditions and administration.
These guidelines set out the processes and requirements of exploration permit applications and grants. They are set out in Section 1, Section 2 and Section 3 of this book.
A full list of legislation, regulations and administrative guidelines setting out operational practices can be found at: www.ret.gov.au/petlegislation
Section 4 outlines the closing bid date for the areas, and details for the lodgement of applications.
Section 5 sets out special notices of titleholder obligations as they apply to the rights and interests of others in the areas released for offshore exploration. This section is particularly important because it sets out the general expectations for liaison activity once a permit is granted, as well as highlighting any additional requirements/conditions for specific areas.
References to the 'Joint Authority' in this book refer to the various joint authorities established between the Australian and the Western Australian and Northern Territory government, consisting of both the responsible Australian Government Minister and the relevant State/NT Minister (the 'Designated Authority') or their delegates. Further information on the governmental structure for administering offshore petroleum exploration permits can be found in the section on Petroleum Law in Australia in the 2009 Special Offshore Acreage Release - An Overview for Applicants ("Red Book").
Any queries or comments on offshore petroleum exploration in Australia can be e-mailed to: petroleum.exploration@ret.gov.au
Interested parties are also encouraged to register contact details (name, title, company, mailing address, telephone/fax numbers, e-mail address) at this e-mail address to receive a CD-ROM of future annual acreage releases for offshore petroleum exploration, as well as notification when new editions of the Australian Petroleum News are placed on the Departmental website. The Australian Petroleum News is used to update information in this book.
For a summary of both the mandatory and flexible aspects of the system see the Summary of the Exploration Permit Bid and Work Requirements at the end of Section 4.