Australia seeks feedback on areas nominated in the 2022 offshore round

The Australian government is seeking comments on potential areas nominated by the industry for inclusion in the 2022 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release, it said on November 2.

The annual offshore release is a key part of the Australian government's strategy to encourage petroleum exploration in Australia’s offshore waters.

“We seek to balance environmental, social and economic considerations in the development of Australia’s natural resources,” the government said.

The industry has nominated Bonaparte, Browse, Northern Carnarvon and Gippsland basins for consideration in the 2022 Offshore Petroleum Exploration acreage release.

The government will assess any issues raised about a nominated area in the submissions. It will include an area in the 2022 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release if it considers the issues to be manageable through regulatory approvals processes.