NOTICE: A784948
VARIATION OF A PETROLEUM SAFETY ZONE – NOTICE A784948 – INPEX OPERATIONS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
Commonwealth of Australia OFFSHORE PETROLEUM AND GREENHOUSE GAS STORAGE ACT 2006 PROHIBITION OF ENTRY INTO A PETROLEUM SAFETY ZONE | |
I, Percy Dhanbhoora, a representative of the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority [NOPSEMA], pursuant to section 616 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, hereby prohibit all vessels other than vessels under the control of the registered operator of CPF Ichthys Explorer and vessels operated by authorised persons who are exercising powers under section 615(1) of Division 1 of Part 6.6 of the above Act from entering or being present in the area of the safety zone without the consent in writing of NOPSEMA.
This petroleum safety zone extends to a distance of 500 metres, measured from each point of the outer edge of the Brewster Drill Centres (BDC) as described in Table 1 and shown in Figure 1 below.
Table 1 – Brewster Drill Centre Petroleum Safety Zones
Petroleum Safety Zone Centres (GDA94) |
Drill Centre | LATITUDE S | LONGITUDE E |
BDC-1A | 13° 51’ 42.32” | 123° 16’ 22.23” |
BDC-1B | 13° 50’ 48.66” | 123° 19’ 13.67” |
BDC-1C | 13° 52’ 46.44” | 123° 19’ 04.33” |
BDC-1D | 13° 54’ 03.17” | 123° 16’ 22.93” |
BDC-2 | 13° 56’ 40.25” | 123° 12’ 36.55” |
BDC-3 | 13° 58’ 00.50” | 123° 08’ 41.64” |
BDC-4 | 13° 54’ 17.84” | 123° 09’ 53.01” |
BDC-5 | 13° 49’ 29.27” | 123° 12’ 47.85” |
Legend |
MDB | Mid Depth Buoy |
RSS | Riser Support Structure |
CPF | Central Processing Facility |
MDB | Mid Depth Buoy |
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Figure 1 – Brewster Drill Centre Petroleum Safety Zones
A petroleum safety zone also extends to a distance of 500 metres, measured from each point of the outer edge of the equipment and structures contained within the area identified by coordinates in Table 2 and shown in Figure 2 below including the:
- lchthys permanently moored Semi- Submersible Central Processing Facility (CPF) (136m x 165m)
- Subsea infrastructure supporting and connecting flexibles to the permanently moored Floating, Storage and Offtake Facility (FPSO) turret (from CPF)
- Flexible Risers connecting Flowlines to CPF topsides, supported at mid- length by 130m tall Riser Support Structure (RSS)
- FLETs connecting seabed flexible section of condensate transfer line which rises to the FPSO turret via MDB to rigid lines
- Hydrocarbon Transfer lines between CPF and FPSO.
Table 2 – Ichthys Production Facilities Petroleum Safety Zone Boundary
Petroleum Safety Zone Boundary (GDA94) |
No. | LATITUDE S | LONGITUDE E |
PSZ1 | 13° 58’ 07.75” | 123° 19’ 16.73” |
PSZ2 | 13° 57’ 41.25” | 123° 19’ 21.76” |
PSZ3 | 13° 56’ 56.01” | 123° 18’ 41.47” |
PSZ4 | 13° 56’ 11.66” | 123° 18’ 08.46” |
PSZ5 | 13° 55’ 48.22” | 123° 17’ 54.85” |
PSZ6 | 13° 55’ 40.58” | 123° 17’ 32.34” |
PSZ7 | 13° 56’ 01.85” | 123° 17’ 24.58” |
PSZ8 | 13° 56’ 27.29” | 123° 17’ 35.15” |
PSZ9 | 13° 57’ 12.23” | 123° 18’ 03.91” |
PSZ10 | 13° 58’ 06.82” | 123° 18’ 42.08” |
Legend |
FLETS | Flow Line End Terminations |
PRB | Production riser Base |
CPF | Central Processing Facility |
FPSO | Floating Production, Storage and Offload facility |
MDB | Mid Depth Buoy |
Figure 2 – Ichthys Production Facilities Petroleum Safety Zone Boundary
The safety zone will be valid from 27 May 2021 until revoked by notice published in the gazette.
Where an unauthorised vessel enters or remains in the safety zone specified in contravention of this notice, the owner and the person in command or in charge of the vessel are each guilty of an offence against Section 616 of the Act and are punishable, upon conviction, by imprisonment for a term:
- not exceeding 15 years if the breach is determined as intentional
- not exceeding 12.5 years if the breach is determined as recklessness
- not exceeding 10 years if the breach is determined as negligence
- not exceeding 5 years if the breach is determined as an offence of strict liability.
REVOCATION OF A PETROLEUM SAFETY ZONE
The previous Notice A381705 dated 19 September 2014, which appeared in the Commonwealth of Australia Government Gazette on 19 September 2014, C2014G01578, is revoked as at 27 May 2021.
Dated this 27th day of May 2021.
Made under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Percy Dhanbhoora, Manager – Assessment and Inspection
Pursuant to the Instrument of delegation dated 14 May 2021
National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority
Overview
The Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (the "Act") was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to address the need for stringent regulations concerning the exploration, production, and storage of petroleum and greenhouse gas in Australian waters. The Act aims to ensure the safety of offshore petroleum activities and the protection of the marine environment. The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) has been tasked with enforcing the provisions of the Act. In a recent development, Notice A784948 was issued under section 616 of the Act, prohibiting all vessels, except those controlled by the registered operator of the CPF Ichthys Explorer and vessels operated by authorised persons exercising powers under section 615(1) of Division 1 of Part 6.6, from entering or being present in the specified petroleum safety zones without written consent from NOPSEMA. This notice is effective from 27 May 2021 and applies to a range of safety zones surrounding the Brewster Drill Centres and the Ichthys Production Facilities. Unauthorized vessels entering these zones are subject to penalties, including imprisonment, depending on the nature of the breach. The previous Notice A381705, published on 19 September 2014, has been revoked as of 27 May 2021.
Scope and Application
The Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 applies to the regulation of petroleum activities and greenhouse gas storage within Australian waters, specifically offshore petroleum activities and the storage of greenhouse gases. This Act governs the operations of entities involved in offshore petroleum exploration, production, and storage, and it applies to all vessels and persons conducting activities in the specified zones unless expressly permitted. The geographic scope of this Act is national, extending to Commonwealth waters. The Act's provisions are enforced by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA). The Notice A784948 under this Act specifies a petroleum safety zone extending to a distance of 500 metres from certain identified points, and it prohibits unauthorised vessels from entering this zone without written consent from NOPSEMA. The notice applies to the operations of INPEX Operations Australia Pty Ltd, specifically around the Brewster Drill Centres and the Ichthys Production Facilities. The Notice also revokes a previous notice (A381705) that was in effect until 27 May 2021. Violation of the prohibition on entering the safety zone can result in severe penalties, including imprisonment, depending on the level of intent or negligence involved in the breach.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of the Notice A784948 Variation of a Petroleum Safety Zone (Gazette) prohibit unauthorised vessels from entering or being present in the designated petroleum safety zone. This restriction applies to all vessels except those under the control of the registered operator of CPF Ichthys Explorer and those operated by authorised persons exercising powers under section 615(1) of Division 1 of Part 6.6 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (the "Act"). The safety zone extends 500 metres from the outer edge of specified drill centres and equipment structures, as detailed in Tables 1 and 2 and shown in Figures 1 and 2. The prohibition is in force from 27 May 2021 until revoked by notice published in the Gazette.
The Notice imposes several obligations on the parties and entities it governs. It requires that any vessel wishing to enter the safety zone must obtain written consent from the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA). This includes vessels operated by the registered operator of CPF Ichthys Explorer and authorised persons exercising specific powers under the Act. Additionally, the Notice revokes the previous Notice A381705 dated 19 September 2014, which was published in the Commonwealth of Australia Government Gazette on 19 September 2014. The revocation takes effect from 27 May 2021.
The Notice outlines the potential consequences for breach of its provisions. Any unauthorised vessel entering or remaining in the safety zone is subject to penalties under Section 616 of the Act. The severity of the penalty depends on the manner of the breach. For intentional breaches, the penalty is imprisonment for up to 15 years. For reckless breaches, the maximum penalty is 12.5 years. For negligent breaches, the penalty is imprisonment for up to 10 years. If the breach is determined to be an offence of strict liability, the maximum penalty is five years. Both the owner of the vessel and the person in command or in charge of the vessel are liable for these penalties upon conviction.