This checklist is designed to assist applicants in developing and submitting a bid for an exploration permit under a competitive work program bid system. It is intended as a guide only.

Prior to developing an application, explorers should familiarise themselves with the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (Commonwealth) and associated regulations, the relevant Guidelines and the 2014 General and Special Notices. This information is available at: www.petroleum-acreage.gov.au and www.nopta.gov.au.

Application content

Applications must contain the following:

Technical assessment and proposed work program

□ / Technical Assessment
The applicant should indicate what data or information it has based its technical evaluation on.
It is expected that an applicant would at least demonstrate an understanding of the potential petroleum systems and plays likely to be present within the release area.
The applicant should describe any geotechnical studies, seismic interpretation, mapping or any other work it has undertaken as part of pre-bid evaluation and submit descriptions of any prospects or leads it has identified.
The exploration strategy and the work program proposed for the 6-year permit term should build on and be consistent with the applicant’s technical assessment.
□ / Minimum guaranteed work program (Years 1, 2 and 3)
Should include a significant amount of new seismic surveying and/or exploration drilling.
Where a release area is entirely covered by 3D seismic data, the pre-eminent element of the guaranteed work program may comprise the reprocessing (from field tapes) of all of the data.
It is important to note that the minimum work program proposed must be stated precisely to avoid ambiguity - the number of km/km2 of 2D/3D seismic reprocessing and acquisition to be undertaken within the release area must be clearly stated.
Proposals for work that is not guaranteed must not be included in the work program – ‘contingent’ work should not be included.
Where seismic surveying or drilling is proposed during the first 2 years of the guaranteed term, it is expected that the applicant will have made preliminary enquiries as to the availability of a seismic vessel or drilling rig to undertake these commitments.
If an exploration well is proposed during the guaranteed term, it would normally be expected that the well will be preceded by sufficient new seismic surveying that has the potential to mature a drillable target for that well.
If an exploration well proposed within the guaranteed period is not preceded by new seismic surveying, the applicant would be expected to have identified a drillable prospect as part of its pre-bid evaluation of the release area.
Work activities that are undertaken outside the permit boundary will not be considered as meeting a work program commitment, and must be clearly differentiated from work activities that will be undertaken within the permit.
□ / Secondary work program (Years 4, 5 and 6)
Should include substantial operational activities that will significantly advance exploration of the area.
At least one exploration well would normally be expected during the overall 6-year permit term.

Particulars of the applicant

□ / Technical qualifications of the applicant/s and its key employees and technical advice available to the applicant.
If the applicant intends to manage the work program through the use of “in-house” expertise, it should provide details of the “in-house” expertise available to the applicant and the relevant experience of its key employees.
If the applicant intends to manage its work program through the use of consultants, it should list the consultants it proposes to use and provide evidence of their availability to undertake the work.
□ / Financial resources available to the applicant, including evidence of the applicant’s ability to fund the proposed work program, a statement of other exploration commitments over the next six (6) years and a copy of the latest annual and quarterly reports for each applicant company.
□ / Percentage interest of each party to the application.
□ / Where relevant, evidence of the viability of the consortium lodging the application, including evidence that a satisfactory settlement has been, or can be, reached on the Joint Operating Agreement.

Other information

□ / Other information as the applicant wishes to be considered or taken into account.
□ / All monetary values recorded in Australian dollars.
□ / Application Fee is attached.

Submitting an application

Applications must be submitted to the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) by the deadline and in the manner specified in the relevant gazette notice published at comlaw.gov.au/Browse/ByTitle/Gazettes.

Application cover forms and address details are available at: http://www.nopta.gov.au/forms/forms.html

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AUSTRALIA 2014 / Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release