The guidance clarifies the Australian Government's regulatory requirements for removing oil and gas property and infrastructure from Commonwealth waters as part of decommissioning.
Australian law requires the removal of all property and infrastructure when offshore oil and gas operations have ended. This reflects Australia's international obligations and aims to minimise risk to the marine environment or other marine users in the future.
In limited circumstances, alternative decommissioning approaches may propose leaving certain types of offshore oil and gas property and infrastructure in the sea. These may be considered if environmental impacts and risks are acceptable to regulators, and all applicable regulatory requirements are met.
The guidance is consistent with the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 and the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981. It shows how the offshore decommissioning and sea dumping frameworks intersect and explains:
- regulatory requirements around the types of property and infrastructure that cannot be left in the sea
- property and infrastructure that may be assessed by regulators to determine whether it is suitable to be left in the sea in limited circumstances
- application and assessment considerations for titleholders and operators, including safety and environmental protection.
Our department developed the guidance jointly with:
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)
- National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA).
