Petroleum titles compliance and penalties

The holder of a petroleum title must meet all conditions and obligations related to a title.

If you don't comply with the conditions of your title, or the provisions of the Petroleum Act 1984 or Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1981, you may:

• be charged a fee or interest
• receive an infringement notice
• be prosecuted
• have your titles cancelled.

Fees

You will be charged a late lodgement fee for failing to submit on time:

• an annual report
• a survey and other reports
• well completion report.

Interest

You will be charged interest on annual fees and the orphan well levy if you don't pay within one month after the amount is due.

Infringement notice

Infringement notice offences are listed in schedule 4 of the Petroleum Regulations 2020. For example, you may receive an infringement notice for failing to:

• provide another title holder with a report of operations carried on under an access authority over that title holder’s permit or licence area
• comply with a direction to provide additional information about a petroleum discovery after notification
• submit a final report for a surrendered permit or licence area
• conduct an activity in a way that complies with an approved well operations management plan, field management plan or petroleum surface infrastructure plan.

Prosecution

You can be prosecuted if you do any of the following:

• breach title conditions
• contravene or fail to comply with the law or a direction or notice under the law
• interfere with authorised activities or rights
• obstruct an official doing their job.

For more detailed information about offences and penalties refer to the Petroleum Act 1984 or the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1981.

Licence cancellation

As an alternative to prosecution, you may have all or any of the blocks of a permit or licence cancelled if you have:

• not complied with a condition of a title
• not complied with a provision of the Act
• not paid the annual fees within 3 months after the due date
• been found guilty of an offence against the Act.

Read more about the laws and regulations.