2020 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release

There are 42 release areas available for offshore oil and gas exploration. They are offshore of the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Victoria and the Ashmore and Cartier Islands.

Bidding on these areas is open until Tuesday 1 June 2021.

Explore acreage release areas

See regional geology, high resolution maps, block diagrams and block listings for:

• Bonaparte Basin
• Browse Basin
• Northern Carnarvon Basin
• Otway Basin
• Gippsland Basin

Access key files and supporting data

• Download a booklet of all release area maps [6.11MB PDF]
• Download shapefiles in vector (GIS) format [127KB ZIP]
• See Geoscience Australia’s geological information for this release.
• Access more data and an interactive map of the release areas via the National Offshore Petroleum Information Management System (NOPIMS).

Geoscience Australia partnered with us to provide geological information to support this release. Maps and field outlines are from GPinfo, a Petrosys Pty Ltd product, and are accurate as at 2 July 2020.

About the release

The annual acreage release offers the petroleum industry a variety of investment opportunities.

Industry nominated the release areas. Then we consulted with the public, governments and stakeholders to determine the final release. View feedback from stakeholders provided during public consultation.

See how to bid on these areas.

Read more

• The Minister launched the 2020 acreage release by video at the APPEA Re-Connect webinar
• Read about the APPEA 2020 Acreage release webinar
• Oil and gas companies must meet a number of requirements before commencing offshore oil and gas activities 
• Read more about investing in offshore petroleum exploration
• See taxation and royalties on mineral and petroleum projects

Contact us

Email petrolum.exploration [at] industry.gov.au

Connect with us

Subscribe to Australian Petroleum News for updates on offshore oil and gas activities