Notice of Invitation for Work Program Petroleum Exploration Permit Application 2025

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006

NOTICE OF INVITATION FOR WORK PROGRAM PETROLEUM EXPLORATION PERMIT APPLICATION 2025

I, GRAEME ALBERT WATERS, the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA), on behalf of the Commonwealth-Victoria Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority and the Commonwealth-Tasmania Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority (the Joint Authorities), pursuant to section 104 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (the Act), hereby invite applications for the grant of work-bid petroleum exploration permits in respect of the blocks and within the areas described below.

Applications must be received, in the manner prescribed below, by Tuesday 4:00 pm local time at the place of submission on 30 June 2026.

Graticular Block ListingS

Release Area V25-1

Otway Basin, Offshore Area of Victoria

Map Sheet SJ54 (Hamilton)

Assessed to contain 159 blocks (includes 140 full blocks and 19 part blocks)

Release Area V25-2

Otway Basin, Offshore Area of Victoria

Map Sheet SJ54 (Hamilton)

Assessed to contain 100 blocks (includes 95 full blocks and 5 part blocks)

Release Area T25-1

Otway Basin, Offshore Area of Tasmania

Map Sheet SJ54 (Hamilton)

Map Sheet SK54 (King Island)

Assessed to contain 63 blocks (includes 46 full blocks and 17 part blocks)

Release Area T25-2

Otway Basin, Offshore Area of Tasmania

Map Sheet SJ54 (Hamilton)

Assessed to contain 3 full blocks

Release Area T25-3

Otway and Sorell Basins, Offshore Area of Tasmania

Map Sheet SK54 (King Island)

Assessed to contain 67 full blocks

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

When preparing a bid and planning exploration, explorers should:

• carefully consider the relevant maritime boundaries and international treaties
• consider all relevant advice to inform decision-making.

Public Consultation Comments

Public consultation on the gazetted areas will occur following the publication of this gazette notice. Applicants are advised to review a summary of comments received for any areas they intend to bid on via the Consultation Hub (https://consult.industry.gov.au/) before finalising bids.

Australian Marine Parks, Biologically Important Areas, Key Ecological Features and Heritage

Potential bidders should note that some of the gazetted areas are proximate to Australian Marine Parks, Biologically Important Areas (BIAs) and Key Ecological Features (KEFs). For more information in relation to these areas please refer to the following:

• https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/marine/marine-bioregional-plans/about
• https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/marine/marine-species/bias
• https://parksaustralia.gov.au/marine/management/
• https://australianmarineparks.gov.au/parks/south-east-marine-parks-network/south-east-network-management-plan/

The Australian Heritage Database provides information on the National Heritage values protected as Matters of National Environmental Significance under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act). The Australian Heritage Database is available at https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/publications/australian-heritage-database. The Protected Matters Search Tool provides information on what is protected under the EPBC Act and is available at https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc/protected-matters-search-tool.

Heritage places are protected under the EPBC Act as Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES). Any action which has, will have or is likely to have a significant impact on MNES requires referral for assessment under the EPBC Act.

Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH)

DCCEEW administers the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 (the UCH Act). The requirements of the UCH Act are separate to those of the EPBC Act. Any potential titleholder who is planning to undertake works in the offshore environment should consult heritage@dcceew.gov.au for advice on how to mitigate risks associated with underwater cultural heritage.

The Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database contains historical and environmental information about shipwrecks, sunken aircraft and other types of underwater heritage sites and is available at https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/underwater-heritage/auchd.

Unexploded ordnance

There is potential for unexploded ordnance (UXO) on or in the sea floor in areas where Defence operates and especially in Air Weapons Range Areas. Proponents should be aware of the risks involved in conducting offshore exploration and development activities. The potential presence of UXO carries with it an associated risk of detonation. Defence takes no responsibility for:

• reporting the location and type of ordnance dropped in the areas of interest to the permit holders
• identification of or removal of any UXO
• any loss or damage suffered or incurred by the company or any third party arising out of, or directly related to, UXO.

Consequently, the Australian Government provides no guarantee or indemnity regarding the safety or whereabouts of UXO.

Defence Practice Areas

Areas may coincide with offshore Defence Restricted Areas and restricted airspace. See the Aeronautical Information Package on the Airservices Australia website for more information on restricted airspaces, available at https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/aip.asp?pg=10. See notice to airmen on the National Aeronautical Information Processing System (NAIPS) for current restrictions, available at https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/naips/documents/about. See notice to mariners from the Australian Hydrographic Office for current restrictions, available at http://www.hydro.gov.au/n2m/notices.htm.

Foreign Investment Review Board

International investors may need to seek approval from the Australian Treasurer. See the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) website (https://foreigninvestment.gov.au/) for more information. If FIRB approval is not available at the time of submission, it will need to be provided separately before any new acreage will be awarded.

Seismic survey data

Investors are encouraged to consider all available seismic data to determine if further seismic acquisition is necessary in an area and to form a more targeted work program bid. The National Offshore Petroleum Information Management System (https://public.neats.nopta.gov.au/nopims)

is available and bidders are strongly encouraged to consider this data to formulate an exploration work program.

Trailing liability

Amendments to the OPGGS Act which implement the Australian Government’s expanded trailing liability policy came into effect on 2 March 2022. Provisions and requirements of the Titles Administration Act provide those past titleholders that held a title on or after 1 January 2021, or related persons, may be called back to undertake remedial works in the former title area should issues arise in future.

APPLICATIONS

In accordance with subsection 104(3) of the Act, applications must:

a. be in the approved form; and

b. be accompanied by any information or documents required by the form.

c.  be accompanied by the appropriate application fee and evidence of payment. 

The approved application form is available for download from the NOPTA website at http://www.nopta.gov.au/forms/forms.html.

The approved application form must be executed by all applicants in accordance with NOPTA’s factsheet ‘How to execute NOPTA forms and instruments’ (Signatures factsheet) which outlines the requirements for Australian and foreign companies. The factsheet is available on the NOPTA website at: https://www.nopta.gov.au/guidelines-and-factsheets/fact-sheets.html

Applicants should refer to the application fee stated in Schedule 6, Part 1 of the RMA regulations. The schedule of fees and details on how to pay NOPTA fees is available on NOPTA’s website at (https://www.nopta.gov.au/cost-recovery-and-fees.html)

For further details of the expectations of the Joint Authorities in relation to the content of applications and used as the criteria for ranking of competing applicants in accordance with section 106 of the Act, please refer to the Offshore Petroleum Exploration Guideline: Work-bid available on NOPTA’S website (https://www.nopta.gov.au/guidelines-and-factsheets/index.html).

Applicant Suitability

Persons that wish to participate in Australia’s offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage regime as a titleholder must satisfy certain suitability requirements. In making a decision to offer the award of an exploration permit the Joint Authority will consider relevant matters from a range of factors including but not limited to financial capacity, technical capability, history of compliance, corporate governance arrangements and any previous liquidation or bankruptcy events. Please refer to the Guideline: Applicant suitability available on NOPTA’s website.  

(https://www.nopta.gov.au/guidelines-and-factsheets/index.html)

Fact sheets for additional guidance on applicant suitability may be found on NOPTA’s website (https://www.nopta.gov.au/guidelines-and-factsheets/fact-sheets.html)

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

Applications are to be submitted to NOPTA in the following manner:

1.       By accessing an account in the NEATS Secure Portal on the website of (https://secure.neats.nopta.gov.au/SignIn) Download and complete the approved application form from the NOPTA website and uploading the signed form and accompanying documents into the Portal. This is the preferred method of submission.

1.       Electronic copy in searchable file format of the application loaded onto a USB sealed and enclosed in a plain covering envelope clearly marked as “Application for Area [Release Area Number as appropriate] Commercial-in-Confidence. A hard copy may be provided if desired. The package must be delivered by hand (couriers accepted) to the address stated below. 

For more information on submitting an application via the Secure Portal please refer to the NEATS secure portal guide, which is available at (https://www.nopta.gov.au/neats-info/secure-portal/NEATS-Secure-Portal-Guidance.pdf) or email titles@nopta.gov.au or phone (08) 6424 5317.

To submit an application in person please make an appointment with the NOPTA by emailing titles@nopta.gov.au or phoning (08) 6424 5317. 

Please check the NOPTA website prior to submitting an application for further updates on submissions.