Petroleum Acreage

Applications are to be made in accordance with section 31 of the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967.

It is essential that the following guidelines be read in concert with this invitation:

• WA Petroleum Guideline - Criteria for Assessment; and,
• WA Petroleum and Geothermal Guideline for Exploration Permit Management,

The criteria for the consideration of an application for the grant of a petroleum exploration permit will take into account work programs relative to the whole of the area applied for, the adequacy of the work program and the applicant’s technical and financial ability to undertake the work.

Be clear and specific

As competing bids will be compared, an applicant’s work program summary table in the application needs to be specific and clear, for example:

• Whether 2D or 3D seismic acquisition
• How many km of 2D seismic acquisition or reprocessing
• How many km2 of 3D seismic acquisition or reprocessing
• Quantify other surveys (e.g. aeromagnetic etc.)
• Specific how many wells (not a range)
• Number, type (e.g. exploration or appraisal) and target formation of wells
• That work program in “firm period” is achievable. The first two permit years are collectively referred to as the “firm period”.

It should be noted that applicants will not be able to change any application details once it has been lodged.

Applicants are also required to provide:

• An exploration rationale identifying key risks and uncertainties and how proposed work program addresses these; and,
• Justification of proposed expenditure against each element of a work program.

Moratorium on Hydraulic Fracturing

Please be advised, the State Government’s decision to indefinitely extend the moratorium means that hydraulic fracturing cannot be undertaken under any new petroleum exploration permit granted in relation to Discrete Areas L22-1, L22-2, L22-3, L22-4, L22-5, L22-6, L22-7 and L22-8 by way of this acreage release process. Furthermore, any subsequent petroleum title deriving from this acreage release process will be prohibited from utilising hydraulic fracturing for exploration or production. For clarity this will include any production licences or retention leases arising out a permit granted from Release 2 of 2022. The continuation of the moratorium has been given effect by way of amendments to the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources (Hydraulic Fracturing) Regulations 2017. These amendments took effect in September 2019.

Applicants should access Tengraph, the Department’s online resource tenure map system, to make themselves aware of the existence of any areas that have the potential to restrict exploration activities and associated obligations to acquire approvals under other legislation to obtain access to or conduct activities in proximity to these areas. In particular, any Registered Native Title Claimants, Registered Native Title Body Corporates, or representative Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander body.

For the purposes of section 31 of the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967, the approved manner for lodgment of Acreage Release applications and payment of the prescribed fee by the closing date and time stipulated is via online lodgment through the department’s secure Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Register (PGR) online system.

Applicable legislation

• Petroleum and Geothermal Register (PGR) – online application portal and access to information relating to petroleum and geothermal titles.
• Tengraph – the online spatial enquiry and mapping system displaying the position of Western Australia’s mining and petroleum titles in relation to other land information.
• Petroleum and Geothermal Information (WAPIMS) – the online petroleum exploration database containing non-confidential geotechnical data on wells, geophysical surveys, titles and other related exploration and production data.

For any general enquiries please contact the Resource Tenure team
Email: petroleum.titles@demirs.wa.gov.au

For data enquiries please contact the Statutory and Resource Information team
Email: petdata@demirs.wa.gov.au