National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority reviews

The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) regulates oil, gas and greenhouse gas activities in Commonwealth waters in Australia. Its key responsibilities are:

• offshore oil and gas health and safety, well integrity and environmental management
• greenhouse gas safety

NOPSEMA is an Commonwealth corporate entitity established under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. The Act requires the Resources Minister to review the operation of NOPSEMA every 5 years.

2020 NOPSEMA review

The 2020 review is now complete.

We managed the review process and engaged an independent consultant, Deloitte, to undertake the review. See the terms of reference [582KB PDF] [63KB DOCX].

The Minister for Resources and Water tabled the report in both houses of Parliament on 22 July 2021.

Read the 2020 NOPSEMA review [3.4MB PDF] [2.8MB DOCX].

Deloitte found NOPSEMA to be appropriately focused in bringing about improvement in OHS, well integrity and environmental management across the offshore oil and gas industry in accordance with its functions under 646 of the Act. Deloitte also consider NOPSEMA to be compliant with its obligations in administering the streamlined Endorsed Program under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999.

Australia’s offshore regulatory framework strives for continuous improvement and Deloitte made 31 recommendations and identified 21 opportunities.

The government will respond to the review later in 2021.

Previous reviews

NOPSEMA transitioned from the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) in 2012.

• 2015 NOPSEMA review
• 2011 NOPSA review
• 2008 NOPSA review

Read more

• Find out about NOPSEMA regulation and activities
• Read more about offshore oil and gas regulation

Contact us

Email offshore.policy@industry.gov.au

See also

• See our independent audit of NOPSEMA’s current consideration of exploration in the Great Australian Bight
• We also review the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA)