Offshore petroleum exploration acreage release process

About the acreage release

Oil and gas companies can participate in the acreage release by:

• suggesting areas for future exploration
• bidding to explore release areas. 

Anyone interested in areas that may be released for bidding can have their say when we consult on nominated areas.

All operational activities are subject to regulatory approval by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA). This includes:

• comprehensive consultation with all key stakeholders
• considering potential impacts and risks to the environment
• proposed management and mitigation of those risks.

Nominating areas for future exploration

The offshore petroleum industry is invited to shape the acreage release. You can submit nominations for release areas to be considered.

Before you start

Your nomination should demonstrate a genuine intent to start activities in the immediate term. As a guide:

• If you represent an exploration and production company, your nomination would indicate a strong interest in exploring the area and potentially bidding in the next scheduled acreage release.
• If you represent a geophysical company, you are expected to have recent non-exclusive data products over the nominated area available during the next bidding period.

We do not place limits on the number of nominations you can put forward. However the government may change this if:

• areas are not routinely bid on
• nominations consistently lack a well-considered rationale.

The Offshore Petroleum Joint Authorities must consider and endorse release areas before they can progress to the bidding rounds. The Joint Authority is generally made up of the responsible federal minister and the relevant state or Northern Territory minister. 

Submitting your nomination

Complete the online nomination form on business.gov.au 

Please nominate non-contiguous areas separately.

In some cases we don’t progress nominations. Nominated areas, or parts of areas, may be excluded for various reasons including:

• national security, for example if they impact international maritime boundaries
• legal, for example if a nominated area extends into a green or yellow Australian marine park zone
• where precompetitive open-file studies of the geology or other features of the area are being undertaken
• where exploration activities may impact other marine users or biologically important areas.

See the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) interactive map to determine if your nomination may be affected.

You must provide reasons for nominating an area. This is crucial in frontier areas with limited infrastructure or social licence to operate.

Selecting nominated areas

The Joint Authority considers a range of factors when selecting nominated areas for release and for public consultation. These include:

• national security and maritime boundaries
• environmental regulations
• commercial interest
• proximity to markets and supporting infrastructure
• social licence to operate
• other marine users and offshore titleholders
• strategic priorities of the government.

We consult with:

• state and territory governments
• other Australian Government agencies.

Consulting on areas

We seek feedback from anyone who has an interest in a specific area and can provide information relevant to exploration in that area. This includes:

• government agencies
• the public
• marine users, like the fishing, aquaculture and tourism industries.

To be notified of upcoming consultations subscribe to the Australian Resources news.

Consultation informs the Joint Authorities’ decision to release nominated areas and whether to offer permits. It also helps companies understand factors they may need to consider when applying for and working in an area.

Bidding on release areas

The Joint Authorities invite companies to bid on release areas. Areas available for bidding, and bid due dates, are published in the Australian Government Gazette. 

Planning your work bid

When planning your work bid, you may want to:

• view all offshore petroleum titles, instruments, work program activities, map sheet references and graticular blocks in the National Electronic Approvals Tracking System (NEATS) and interactive map.
• consider the comments provided by the public and other marine users during the consultation phase
• see bidding criteria and information about how to apply in the Offshore petroleum exploration guideline on the NOPTA website
• assess geological information about Australia’s offshore petroleum basins on the Geoscience Australia website.

Assessing work bids

NOPTA assesses bids against:

• application criteria in the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006
• requirements of Australian Government Gazette Notice invitations to bid
• expectations in the Offshore petroleum exploration guidelines.

They provide advice to the Joint Authorities who make the decision on successful bids.

Offering exploration permits

Successful bidders are offered an offshore petroleum exploration permit. This 6-year title can be renewed for a further 2 periods of 5 years. 

NOPTA grants the permits on behalf of the relevant Joint Authority. 

Oil and gas companies must meet several requirements before commencing offshore oil and gas activities. 

Data and maps to support nominations and bidding

• Search seismic survey data and well data on Geoscience Australia’s petroleum data repository.
• View NOPTA’s interactive map on the NEATS public portal.
• See all Australian offshore petroleum wells and seismic surveys on the National Offshore Petroleum Information Management System (NOPIMS) website.
• Read about Australia’s proven reserves and estimates of undiscovered resources on the Australian Energy Resource Assessment website.