Types of petroleum activities

Low impact activities are a type of exploration activity. They have no impact, or low impact, on land.

Low impact activities include:

• preliminary activities such as taking:
  • water samples
  • rock samples without using heavy machinery
  • soil samples to a depth of up to four metres
• carrying out surveys including aerial surveys that do not involve:
  • clearing any vegetation
  • permanent installation of any infrastructure or equipment on land
• other activities that have no or low impact on land, such as testing, monitoring or maintaining infrastructure without the use of heavy equipment
• airborne operations over a permit area or licence area by aircraft (including helicopter) or drone
• driving a vehicle on land, except a heavy vehicle, to carry out low impact activities
• taking workers to and from a location of a permit area or licence area
• landing a helicopter on any part of a permit area or licence area.

Low impact activities don't impact or cause a risk to the environment. They are not a regulated activity under the law.

For a company to carry out regulated operations, it must have an exploration permit, a retention licence or a production licence.

Regulated operations include:

• clearing vegetation
• ground-based seismic surveys
• drilling an exploration well
• drilling a development well to recover petroleum.

These activities require an approved environment management plan from the environment minister.