The Federal Government has awarded nine new offshore permits in the second round of the 2010 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release to enable petroleum exploration investment worth $380 million in waters off Western Australia.

 

The permits awarded to Woodside, Shell, Mitsui E&P, Cottesloe Oil and Gas, Strike Energy, WHL Energy and Santos include frontier areas.

 

A total of 33 work program bids were received for 12 release areas of the second round of the 2010 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release which closed on 12 May 2011.


PERMITS AWARDED

 

WA-466-P (released as W10-3) in the Rowley Sub-basin of the Roebuck Basin off Western Australia has been awarded to Woodside Energy Ltd and Shell Development (Australia) Pty Ltd. The companies proposed a guaranteed work program of 3590 km2 3D seismic surveying and three exploration wells to an estimated value of $128.2m. The secondary work program consists of 2000 km2 3D seismic reprocessing, geotechnical studies and an exploration well to an estimated value of A$37.9m. There were three other bids for this area.


WA-462-P (released as W10-4) in the Rowley Sub-basin of the Roebuck Basin off Western Australia has been awarded to Woodside Energy Ltd and Shell Development (Australia) Pty Ltd. The companies proposed a guaranteed work program of 3585 km2 new 3D seismic surveying, geotechnical studies and an exploration well to an estimated value of A$58.1m. The secondary work program consists of 2000 km2 3D seismic reprocessing, geotechnical studies and an exploration well to an estimated value of A$37.9m. There were three other bids for this area.


WA-464-P (released as W10-5) in the Rowley Sub-basin of the Roebuck Basin off Western Australia has been awarded to Woodside Energy Ltd and Shell Development (Australia) Pty Ltd. The companies proposed a guaranteed work program of 3595 km2 new 3D seismic surveying and four exploration wells to an estimated value of A$163.2m. The secondary work program consists of 2000 km2 3D reprocessing, geotechnical studies and one exploration well to an estimated value of A$37.9m. There were three other bids for this area.


WA-465-P (released as W10-8) in the Beagle Sub-basin, the Carnarvon Basin, off Western Australia has been awarded to Woodside Energy Ltd. The company proposed a guaranteed work program of geotechnical studies and 1211 km2 3D seismic surveying to an estimated value of A$9m. The secondary work program consists of an exploration well and geotechnical studies to an estimated value of A$37.9m. There was one other bid for this area.


WA-467-P (released as W10-9) in the Beagle Sub-basin, the Carnarvon Basin, off Western Australia has been awarded to Woodside Energy Ltd. The company proposed a guaranteed work program of 351 km2 of new 3D seismic surveying and geotechnical studies to an estimated value of A$3.8m. The secondary work program consists of one exploration well and geotechnical studies to an estimated value of A$36.5m. There were three other bids for


WA-461-P (released as W10-23) in the Exmouth Sub-basin of the Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia has been awarded to Woodside Energy Ltd and Mitsui E&P Australia Pty Limited. The company proposed a guaranteed work program comprising licensing of 480 km2 of new multi-client 3D seismic data, 395 km2 3D seismic reprocessing, 157 km2 new 2D surveying and geotechnical studies to an estimated value of A$7.8m. The secondary work program consists of 480 km2 3D seismic reprocessing, geotechnical studies and one exploration well to an estimated value of A$36.9m. There were two other bids for this area.


WA-463-P (released as W10-24) in the Exmouth Sub-basin of the Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia has been awarded to Woodside Energy Ltd and Mitsui E&P Australia Pty Limited. The companies proposed a guaranteed work program comprising of licensing of 283 km2 of new multi-client 3D seismic data, 217 km2 3D seismic reprocessing, 104 km of new 2D seismic surveying and geotechnical studies to an estimated value of A$5.4m. The secondary work program consists of 283 km2 3D seismic reprocessing, geotechnical studies and an exploration well to an estimated value of A$36.7m. There were three other bids for this area.


WA-460-P (released as W10-25) in the Exmouth Sub-basin of the Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia has been awarded to Cottesloe Oil and Gas Pty Ltd, Strike Energy Limited and WHL Energy Limited. The companies proposed a guaranteed work program comprising geotechnical studies, 92 km 2D reprocessing, 9.5 km new 2D seismic surveying and 81 km2 new 3D seismic surveying to an estimated value of A$1.2m. The secondary work program consists of one exploration well and geotechnical studies to an estimated value of A$60.2m. There was one other bid for this area.


WA-459-P (released as W10-1) in the Petrel Sub-basin of the Bonaparte Basin off Western Australia and the Northern Territory has been awarded to Santos Oil and Gas Pty Ltd. The company proposed a guaranteed work program comprising geotechnical studies, 300 km new 2D seismic surveying and 865 km 2D seismic reprocessing to an estimated value of A$3.5m. The secondary work program consists of one exploration well and geotechnical studies to an estimated value of A$20.5m. There were two other bids for this area.

 

Further information on acreage release is available at www.petroleum-acreage.gov.au