Overview
We are inviting feedback on the exposure draft of the remake of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Resource Management and Administration) Regulations (RMA Regulations).
The RMA Regulations cover:
resource management and administration
well operations management plans and well activities
data management and reporting for petroleum and greenhouse gas injection and storage
other regulatory and administrative matters.
Proposed amendments
We are remaking the 2011 RMA Regulations with amendments to ensure they:
remain fit for purpose and responsive to changes in the industry and operating environment
reflect community expectations for increased transparency in offshore resources management
allow for enhanced understanding of those resources.
Key changes include:
Improve, clarify and modernise annual titles assessment reports, field development plans and well operation management plans to facilitate monitoring and compliance.
Revise data management requirements to promote data transparency, align with best practice standards and be technology neutral.
Simplify the sample analysis reporting requirement to provide a final analysis report to the Titles Administrator, irrespective of where the analysis is conducted.
Clarify the requirement to submit daily geological reports to the Titles Administrator when undertaking drilling operations in a title area.
Streamline information requirements for initial and final well completion reports.
Revise and clarify the list of samples that titleholders must submit to address information gaps.
Clarify requirements for titleholders to submit interpretation reports and associated data non-exclusive data.
Change the release timeframes for non-exclusive seismic data from 15 years to 10 years.
Clarify the submission process and reduce the number of release timeframes for disclosable information.
Make it possible to share greenhouse gas injection and storage information with the Commonwealth agency administering laws to protect the environment.
Modernise penalty provisions to encourage and support industry compliance.
Minor amendments throughout to be consistent with current drafting practices.
Exposure draft
Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Resource Management and Administration) Regulations 2025 exposure draft [1.5MB PDF] [435KB DOCX]