2005 RELEASE OF OFFSHORE PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AREAS

Jenny Maher

doi:10.1071/aj04064

2021 Offshore petroleum exploration acreage release

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj20191 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 61 (2) ◽

pp. 291

Author(s):

Paul Trotman

Keyword(s):

Manufacturing Industry ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Domestic Demand ◽

Liquefied Natural Gas ◽

Petroleum Exploration ◽

Demand Growth ◽

Regulatory Frameworks ◽

The Future ◽

Policy Work ◽

Offshore Petroleum

In 2020, the liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade saw a modest increase of 1%, which is in contrast to the strong growth of previous years. Recently, the global LNG trade has picked up following the easing of impacts from the pandemic and demand growth in Asia. An increase of 6% in the global LNG trade is expected in 2021 and 2022. Domestic demand for gas remains high, with gas being used both for residential supply and also as an essential feedstock for the manufacturing industry. With a projected domestic gas shortfall, the future exploration and development of oil and gas will play a key role in ensuring access to secure, reliable and affordable energy in the future as well as assisting economic recovery from the pandemic. The importance of remaining an attractive investment destination is essential. Our challenge is to not only strike the balance of being agile and adaptive to market disruptions but also provide robust policy and regulatory frameworks to underpin future investment in the sector. Against this backdrop, this paper provides details of the 2021 offshore petroleum exploration acreage release and information about the ongoing policy work of the department.

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2010 Offshore petroleum exploration release

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj09001 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

John Hartwell

Keyword(s):

Water Depth ◽

Regulatory Framework ◽

Geophysical Data ◽

Petroleum Exploration ◽

Economic Environment ◽

Geological Data ◽

Australian Government ◽

Investment Opportunities ◽

Offshore Petroleum

The sustainable annual release of quality petroleum exploration acreage, to provide the global petroleum exploration industry with a variety of investment opportunities in Australian waters, is a key objective of the Australian Government. The annual Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release (Acreage Release) is underpinned by Australia’s stable economic environment and well-established regulatory framework for offshore petroleum activities. The 2010 Acreage Release areas are located across five basins. Release areas have been carefully selected to offer a range of investment opportunities; areas vary in size, known prospectivity, water depth and level of existing geological data and knowledge. Areas are supported by pre-competitive geological and geophysical data and analysis undertaken by Geoscience Australia.

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OFFSHORE PETROLEUM EXPLORATION IN AUSTRALIA ACREAGE BIDDING SYSTEMS: WORK BIDDING OR CASH BIDDING?

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj02039 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 677

Author(s):

A.G. Thompson ◽

V.W.C. Lok

Keyword(s):

Petroleum Exploration ◽

Approval Process ◽

Administrative Discretion ◽

Administrative Cost ◽

Natural Justice ◽

Work Program ◽

Mixed Regime ◽

Discretionary Powers ◽

Exploration And Development ◽

Offshore Petroleum

The design and efficiency of offshore petroleum acreage bidding systems bear directly on the risk and cost for participants investing in exploration and development projects offshore Australia.Companies, financiers and investors who are interested in investing in petroleum exploration and development activities will find a mixed regime of State and Federal legislation governs such activities in Australia.While the concept of the work program bidding system appears to be sound, the administration of it by the Joint Authorities and Designated Authorities and delegated officers potentially creates many uncertainties for permittees.The approval process is generally a costly and time consuming one under the work program bidding system and its administrative cost diverts funds that otherwise may have been directed to exploration activities.Work program permits are also susceptible to uncertainty and dispute as to whether or not the required work program has been met. Issues of proper or improper exercise of discretionary powers can arise, particularly when wide statutory discretionary powers are in practice circumscribed by Administrative Guidelines.The existence of statutory and administrative discretion requires, in the interests of natural justice, that there be appropriate avenues of appeal for aggrieved permittees. All of the foregoing regulation and cost is removed with cash bid permits. Cash bid permits not only reduce costs for Government but also for industry.The authors are of the view that offering permits by way of the cash bidding system should be reintroduced, with modifications to ensure its efficiency.

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PESA Australian exploration review 2018

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj18284 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 59 (2) ◽

pp. 493

Author(s):

D. Lockhart ◽

D. Spring

Keyword(s):

Oil And Gas ◽

Petroleum Exploration ◽

3D Seismic ◽

The North ◽

Second Year ◽

Gippsland Basin ◽

2D And 3D ◽

Conventional Oil ◽

Exploration Activity ◽

Offshore Petroleum

Available data for 2018 indicates that exploration activity is on the rise in Australia, compared to 2017, and this represents a second year of growth in exploration activity in Australia. There has been an increase in area under licence by 92 000 km2, reversing the downward trend in area under licence that commenced in 2014. Since 2016, exploratory drilling within Australia has seen a continued upward trend in both the number of wells drilled and the percentage of total worldwide. Onshore, 77 conventional exploration and appraisal wells were spudded during the year. Offshore, exploration and appraisal drilling matched that seen in 2017, with five new wells spudded: two in the Roebuck Basin, two in the Gippsland Basin and one in the North Carnarvon Basin. Almost 1500 km of 2D seismic and over 10 000 km2 of 3D seismic were acquired within Australia during 2018, accounting for 2.4% and 3.9% of global acquisition, respectively. This represents an increase in the amount of both 2D and 3D seismic acquired in Australia compared with 2017. Once the 2017 Offshore Petroleum Acreage Release was finalised, seven new offshore exploration permits were awarded as a result. A total of 12 bids were received for round one of the 2018 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Release, demonstrating an increase in momentum for offshore exploration in Australia. The permits are in Commonwealth waters off Western Australia, Victoria and the Ashmore and Cartier islands. In June 2018, the Queensland Government announced the release of 11 areas for petroleum exploration acreage in onshore Queensland, with tenders closing in February/March 2019; a further 11 areas will be released in early 2019. The acreage is a mix of coal seam gas and conventional oil and gas. Victoria released five areas in the offshore Otway Basin within State waters. In the Northern Territory, the moratorium on fracking was lifted in April, clearing the way for exploration to recommence in the 2019 dry season. With the increase in exploration has come an increase in success, with total reserves discovered within Australia during 2018 at just under 400 million barrels of oil equivalent, representing a significant increase from 2017. In 2018, onshore drilling resulted in 18 new discoveries, while offshore, two new discoveries were made. The most notable exploration success of 2018 was Dorado-1 drilled in March by Quadrant and Carnarvon Petroleum in the underexplored Bedout Sub-basin. Dorado is the largest oil discovery in Australia of 100 million barrels, or over, since 1996 and has the potential to reinvigorate exploration in the region.

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The 2017 offshore acreage release areas: petroleum geological overview

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj16029 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 304

Author(s):

Thomas Bernecker ◽

Steve Abbott ◽

George Bernardel ◽

Megan Lech ◽

Ryan Owens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Information Management System ◽

Petroleum Exploration ◽

Seismic Survey ◽

Data Repository ◽

Technical Program ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

Northern Carnarvon Basin ◽

Offshore Petroleum

In 2017, 21 new offshore petroleum exploration areas have been released. The majority of the areas are located along the North West Shelf spanning the Westralian Superbasin from the Bonaparte Basin in the north-east to the Northern Carnarvon Basin in the south-west. New areas have been released in offshore south-eastern Australia with new opportunities provided in the Otway, Bass and Gippsland basins. Two large areas in the northern Perth Basin, an offshore frontier, complete the 2017 Acreage Release. All Release Areas are supported by industry nominations and one new cash bid area has been offered in the Dampier Sub-basin. Geoscience Australia continues to support industry activities by acquiring, interpreting and integrating pre-competitive datasets that are made freely available as part of the agency’s regional petroleum geological studies. A new regional 2D seismic survey was acquired in the Houtman Sub-basin of the Perth Basin, forming the basis of the latest prospectivity study carried out by Geoscience Australia. The results of the study are presented in the technical program of the 2017 APPEA conference. A wealth of seismic and well data, submitted under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (OPGSSA) are made available through the National Offshore Petroleum Information Management System (NOPIMS). Additional datasets are accessible through Geoscience Australia’s data repository.

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2012 offshore petroleum exploration acreage release

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj11001 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Tania Constable

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Production Capacity ◽

Investment Decisions ◽

Rapid Expansion ◽

Petroleum Exploration ◽

Australian Government ◽

Investment Opportunities ◽

Water Depths ◽

Made In ◽

Offshore Petroleum

Australia has abundant natural gas reserves and is experiencing a rapid expansion of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity. In 2011 alone, four Australian LNG projects received final investment decisions (FIDs) and another FID was made in the first weeks of 2012. These projects will add more than 33 million tonnes of new LNG capacity, represent more than $100 billion in investment, and will see Australia become the world’s second largest LNG exporter by 2015. These projects are underpinned by Australia’s stable economic environment and our effective and efficient legislative regime that provides the industry the confidence to pursue a variety of investment opportunities. The essential first step covered by this regime is exploration, which is supported by Australia’s annual Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release. Prepared by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and Geoscience Australia, the annual Acreage Release is the key mechanism used by the Australian Government to encourage investment in petroleum exploration. The 2012 Acreage Release areas have been carefully selected to offer the global petroleum exploration industry a variety of investment opportunities. Areas vary in size, level of existing geological knowledge, and are located in a range of water depths. Selected areas are supported by pre-competitive geological and geophysical data and analysis undertaken by Geoscience Australia. The detailed Acreage Release information package is available at online at www.petroleum-acreage.gov.au or by visiting the Commonwealth Government’s booth at the APPEA conference.

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LEGAL CONTROLS OVER PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT OFFSHORE WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj78024 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 219

Author(s):

A.G. Thompson

Keyword(s):

Western Australia ◽

The State ◽

Petroleum Exploration ◽

State Control ◽

Mixed Regime ◽

Environmental Controls ◽

Petroleum Resources ◽

Legal Controls ◽

Exploration And Development ◽

Offshore Petroleum

Increased petroleum exploration and development activities offshore Western Australia will continue to attract the focus of many companies, contractors and investors who will find that their exploration and development activities and operating practices are controlled by a mixed regime of State and Federal legislation. This mixed regime has its sources in international and constitutional law.Working within these controls is not assisted by the complexity of State and Commonwealth jurisdictional problems in respect to offshore areas. Certain governmental arrangements between the State and the Commonwealth, however, facilitate continued exploration activity offshore, whilst some of the legal issues remain to be resolved. Some guiding principles as to what laws apply offshore and to what extent, are indicated.The consultative arrangements between the State and the Commonwealth under the Offshore Petroleum Code allow for Commonwealth ownership and State control of offshore petroleum resources to co-exist. These are commented upon and the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Acts are analysed with respect to the nature and security of petroleum titles; the setting, performance and variation of work and monetary obligations; the range of administrative discretion in relation thereto; the transferability of petroleum interests and the rate and calculation of royalties.Directions regulating offshore operations generally and covering exploration, reporting, platforms, pipelines, production and work practices are explained. Some of the environmental controls are also mentioned.

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2017 offshore petroleum exploration acreage release

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj16080 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 301

Author(s):

Bruce Wilson

Keyword(s):

Water Depth ◽

Petroleum Exploration ◽

Offshore Petroleum

The Australian Government’s 2017 Offshore Petroleum Acreage Release consist of 21 areas located across eight basins. The areas vary in water depth and maturity and offer exploration opportunities for companies of all sizes. All areas have been nominated by industry, publicly consulted on, and assessed by government before release.

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2013 offshore petroleum exploration acreage release

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj12006 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 63

Author(s):

Tania Constable

Keyword(s):

Capital Expenditure ◽

Petroleum Industry ◽

Production Capacity ◽

Rapid Expansion ◽

Petroleum Exploration ◽

Production Models ◽

Investment Opportunities ◽

Trading Partners ◽

Under Construction ◽

Offshore Petroleum

Exploration is essential for the future of Australia’s resources sector, to enhance our international competitiveness and ensure the long-term growth of this important industry while maintaining Australian energy security and that of our major energy trading partners. Encouraging investment in offshore petroleum exploration is facilitated though the annual Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release prepared in collaboration between the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, and Geoscience Australia. The annual release is underpinned by a stable economic environment, and a regulatory framework that provides the industry with a variety of investment opportunities. Australia has abundant natural gas reserves and is experiencing a rapid expansion of its LNG production capacity. Today, Australia is the world’s fourth-largest exporter of LNG, with a total export capacity of 24.3 million tonnes per annum from its three operational projects. Capacity will further increase to around 80 million tonnes per annum in 2017 once the seven projects presently under construction come online. These projects represent more than US$175 billion in capital expenditure announced since mid-2007, and result in Australia becoming the only country to use three LNG production models: conventional offshore gas with onshore LNG production; FLNG production; and, CSG-based LNG production. This paper will provide detail about the acreage included in the 2013 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release. Areas are carefully selected to offer the global petroleum industry a variety of investment opportunities. This paper will also discuss the supporting regulatory environment and new government initiatives, including the introduction of a five-year exploration strategy for acreage release and the introduction of a cash bidding system as part of future offshore petroleum acreage releases.

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