Approval of resource management, activity and infrastructure plans

You must have a field management plan (FMP) before any production activities can begin on a petroleum licence.

What to include

An FMP must:

• demonstrate:
  • how a petroleum field will be strategically managed over time to deliver the best long term value from the petroleum field
  • how geophysical, geological and reservoir engineering data has or will inform development strategies
• inform and be accompanied with a proposed rate of recovery (R of R):
  • R of R applications must specify and justify forecasts for production, providing high and low range scenarios that are consistent with the FMP.
  • once approved, an R of R provides a regulatory mechanism to ensure petroleum is being recovered at a rate that facilitate maximum economic recovery of the field.

Annual reporting is required on how the rate of recovery is compliant with the predicted scenarios.

Applications are assessed and determined within 120 days of being submitted.

Reviews

An approved FMP and Rate of Recovery must be reviewed:

• every 5 years
• before a significant change is made to the development or management strategy for the field
• before a significant change is made to equipment or procedures used to determine the quality or composition of the petroleum or water
• before ceasing production.

Fees

There is a standard cost to submit an FMP initially. The cost to review an FMP is based on the complexity of the revision.

Read more about fees and levies.

There is no separate cost for a R of R application.

Information included in an FMP may inform the calculation of petroleum infrastructure decommissioning securities.