Community
NOPSEMA is Australia’s independent regulator for health and safety, well integrity and environmental management for offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage activities in Commonwealth waters (comprising the first three nautical miles of the territorial sea) and coastal waters where regulatory powers and functions have been conferred.
NOPSEMA assesses key permissioning documents, such as an environment plan, against strict criteria as set out in the Act and its regulations; inspects an oil and gas company's compliance with the Act, its regulations and accepted permissioning documents; investigates all reports of non-compliance; takes enforcement action to rectify non-compliance and hold parties to account and; provides advice on safety, well integrity and environmental management matters to improve understanding, promote compliance, and encourage continuous improvement.
NOPSEMA does not administer offshore petroleum titles or provide petroleum exploration acreage release.
The petroleum exploration acreage release is the responsibility of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
The administration of offshore petroleum titles is the responsibility of the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA).
Community Resources
To view exploration environment plans and offshore project proposals that are open for public comment see our consultation hub.
To view and subscribe to environment plans currently under assessment and/or approved see our industry environment plans website.
NOPSEMA continues to strive to increase community confidence in the offshore petroleum regulatory regime by improving stakeholder consultation and transparency.
NOPSEMA has published multiple FAQs with some relating to government approvals and environmental plan assessments.
Pursuant to s2.4(1)(b) of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Safety) Regulations 2009, NOPSEMA maintains and publishes a register of current operators.
Offshore commercial diving is undertaken throughout the lifecycle of an offshore energy project from supporting its construction, to carrying out inspections and repairs, and installing and removing equipment.
Regulation 4.9 of the Safety Regulations requires NOPSEMA to make available a register of original and revised DSMSs and DPPs.
See the freedom of information (FOI) page for more information regarding access to a document or documents that may be held by NOPSEMA. NOPSEMA maintains a disclosure log for those documents published under FOI.
Consultation on offshore petroleum activities
The protection and preservation of the marine environment is best achieved when there are opportunities for the community to participate in the environmental approvals process through consultation. Read consultation in the course of preparing an environment plan guideline for more information.