COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Section 132
Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006
REVOCATION OF A DECLARED LOCATION (03-2024)
I, JOANNE JENNIFER BELL, Delegate of the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator, on behalf of the Commonwealth–Western Australia Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority hereby revoke the declaration of a location over the following blocks.
DESCRIPTION OF BLOCKS
Block No. | Map Sheet | Name |
1836, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1978, 1979, 1980 | SD51 (Brunswick Bay) | Burnside |
These blocks are the subject of Petroleum Exploration Permit WA-281-P.
Made under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006
of the Commonwealth of Australia
JOANNE JENNIFER BELL
DELEGATE OF THE TITLES ADMINISTRATOR
ON BEHALF OF THE COMMONWEALTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA
OFFSHORE PETROLEUM JOINT AUTHORITY
Overview
The Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 was enacted to establish a legal framework for the regulation of offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage activities, ensuring environmentally sustainable practices in Australia’s offshore areas. This Act was introduced to address the need for comprehensive governance of offshore petroleum exploration, production, and storage, alongside the growing necessity to manage the environmental impacts of greenhouse gas storage. The enacting body responsible for this legislation is the Commonwealth Parliament, with the policy objective of facilitating the responsible development of Australia’s offshore resources while safeguarding the marine environment. The revocation of a declared location, as evidenced by the recent revocation of specific blocks in Brunswick Bay, reflects the dynamic nature of regulatory oversight required to balance economic interests with environmental protection.
Scope and Application
The Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 applies to entities and persons engaged in activities related to the exploration, development, and production of offshore petroleum resources, as well as the storage of greenhouse gases, within the Commonwealth of Australia, including its territorial sea, the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone, and the Australian continental shelf. This Act governs the management and regulation of these activities, ensuring that they are conducted in an environmentally responsible manner, while also promoting the sustainable development of Australia's offshore petroleum resources. The Act applies to both natural persons and legal entities involved in offshore petroleum operations, as well as to the Commonwealth-Western Australia Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority, which administers and enforces the provisions of the Act in the relevant jurisdiction. The revocation of the declared location over specified offshore blocks, as per the gazette notice, is an exercise of the authority granted under this Act, which may also extend or restrict application through subordinate instruments. However, this particular revocation notice does not detail any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds that might apply to the specific blocks mentioned.
Key Provisions
The Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (section 132) provides for the revocation of declared locations over certain offshore petroleum blocks. In this instance, the declaration over blocks 1836, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1978, 1979, and 1980 on Map Sheet SD51 (Brunswick Bay), known as Burnside, has been revoked. These blocks were under Petroleum Exploration Permit WA-281-P. The revocation of these blocks means that the rights to explore for and potentially develop petroleum resources in these areas are no longer in effect.
The revocation of these blocks imposes obligations on the parties who previously held rights to these areas. Those parties must now cease any exploration or production activities in these blocks and relinquish any rights or claims they had over the specified areas. They must also comply with any decommissioning or environmental restoration requirements that may be in place to ensure the areas are returned to a safe and environmentally sound condition. Failure to comply with these obligations could result in further legal actions or penalties.
Breaching the terms of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 can lead to various consequences. Offences under the Act can include unauthorised exploration or production activities, failure to adhere to environmental protection requirements, or non-compliance with permit conditions. The penalties for such breaches can be severe and may include fines, imprisonment, or both. For example, engaging in unauthorised exploration can result in fines up to $22,000 for individuals and $110,000 for corporations, with additional penalties for ongoing breaches. These stringent measures are in place to ensure the responsible and lawful management of offshore petroleum activities.