Petroleum activities reporting

You must offer the minister all cuttings, cores and samples collected from a well during petroleum activities.

The following timeframes apply:

• cuttings and cores - within 6 months of rig release
• fluid and gas samples - as soon as practicable after they're collected.

If your offer is accepted, you must submit the samples.

You must not dispose of, destroy, or send samples overseas for analysis without the approval of the minister.

The minister may:

• decide not to accept a sample submitted
• require it to be submitted later or
• impose conditions on any approvals relating to samples.

Failure to comply with obligations and conditions around the submission of samples is an offense and may lead to prosecution.

How to submit

You must collect, prepare, identify and provide samples according to the submission procedure.

The procedure also include packing and labelling requirements.

Geological sample submission procedure DOCX (741.6 KB)
Geological sample submission procedure PDF (816.2 KB)

Samples collected during drilling may be released by the minister at the time the relevant well completion report is published, along with any samples collected after rig release.

Once the well completion report is published, further samples from the well can be released as soon as they are submitted.

Core samples

You must deliver drill core cuttings and samples to the Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS) core facility nearest to your exploration permit area. You must first contact the core facility manager to arrange the delivery time.

When submitting drill cores, you must:

• follow the geological sample submission procedure
• include a completed core sample submission form.

Petroleum core submission form DOCX (135.4 KB)
Petroleum core submission form PDF (429.5 KB)

You're responsible for the transport arrangements and the cost of delivering core and cuttings to the nearest core facility.

Send core overseas for analysis

Before sending any core overseas for specialist analysis, you must get written approval.

Email your request to geoscience.info@nt.gov.au

The request should include:

• details of the core to be transported
• its destination
• the type of analysis to be carried out
• the expected date for its return to Australia and submission to the core facility.

Core sent overseas must be shipped back to Australia and delivered to the NTGS core facilities after analysis is completed.

Fluid and gas samples

If you collect fluid or gas samples, you must offer them to NTGS.

If accepted, you must submit the samples.

If required, they will be sent to Geoscience Australia in Canberra in an American Petroleum Institute (API) approved safety container.

Slides residues and other samples

You must submit palynological slides, slides and residues, palaentological material and petrological slides to NTGS when no longer required or before ceasing the permit or licence.

You should send slides and other laboratory samples to the petroleum data manager.

Contact

For any inquiries about sample collection and submission, email geoscience.info@nt.gov.au.