Petroleum activities reporting

Introduction

The Petroleum Act 1984 and Petroleum Regulations 2020 set out a comprehensive suite of reporting and notification obligations for petroleum interest holders.

The obligations cover the submission of:

  • annual reports
  • technical (geological and geophysical) reports and data
  • activity notifications and reports
  • drill cores and samples
  • incident notification requirements.

The reporting and notification obligations ensure that the minister is given comprehensive and timely information that supports effective regulation over the life of a petroleum interest to achieve the objectives of the Petroleum Act 1984.


Petroleum operations annual reports

You must submit an annual report within one month after the anniversary of the grant of a petroleum interest, regardless of whether any work has been performed under the interest during the year or not.

Annual reports provide the minister with detailed information:

  • about the operations and activities you've undertaken on or in relation to the interest area
  • on your compliance with the legislative scheme during the reporting period.

They are permanently confidential and can only be released by the minister in limited circumstances. For example, if required by a court or the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Submitting a report

You must submit your annual report using the form below. It has been created as a template to match the requirements set out in the Petroleum Regulations 2020.

Fill in the annual report form:

Annual report form PDF (635.5 KB)
Annual report form DOCX (777.3 KB)

Within one month of submission, the minister may direct you to provide any missing information from an annual report.

A late lodgement fee is payable for each week or part of a week that an annual report is submitted past the due date. Failure to submit an annual report, or failure to comply with a direction from the minister in relation to an annual report is an offence that may be prosecuted.

The Petroleum (Transitional) Regulations 2023 allow an interest holder to apply to the minister for approval to submit an annual report later than one month after the anniversary date. This is a temporary provision that will be repealed in June 2025.


Geophysical and geological surveys and reports

If you conduct geophysical and geological surveys, carry out geoscientific studies, or reprocess pre-existing data from a geophysical or geological survey, you must submit reports and data to the minister.

This includes:

  • weekly survey reports - each week for the duration of data acquisition
  • downhole survey reports - by the end of the month following the month the survey was conducted
  • acquisition reports, processing reports and final survey reports - within 12 months after the acquisition of data has been completed
  • geoscientific study reports and reprocessing reports - within 12 months after the study is carried out, or the reprocessing of data is completed.

A late lodgement fee is payable for each week or part of a week that a survey or other report is submitted past the due date.

Failure to submit a report is considered an offense and may lead to prosecution.

How to submit

You must submit survey and other reports with the approved form, and include all relevant content set out in the Petroleum Regulations 2020.

Get the approved form:

You must submit reports and data in formats that comply with the guidelines for Northern Territory petroleum reporting and data submission PDF (664.2 KB).

The Petroleum (Transitional) Regulations 2023 state that interest holders who started a survey before 22 June 2023, should continue to submit reports and data for affected surveys in line with the requirements of the now revoked schedule of onshore petroleum exploration and production requirements.

Read more about how to submit reports.


Well completion reports

If you drill or bore a well on a petroleum interest area in the Northern Territory (NT), you must submit well completion reports.

Well completion reports provide the minister with a range of information about:

  • the drilling and construction of a well
  • geological findings and conclusions made
  • any conclusions or recommendations reached about hydrocarbon potential as a result of the activity.

After the drilling rig is released, you must submit:

  • an initial well completion report within 3 months and
  • a final well completion report within 12 months.

Failure to submit a well completion report within the required period is an offence.

You must pay a late lodgement fee for each week or part of a week until you submit the well completion report.

For information on daily drilling reports and other well activity reports, read petroleum activity notifications and reports.

Content and approved format

You must include all relevant content set out in the Petroleum Regulations 2020 and submit reports and data in formats that comply with the following guidelines.

Guidelines for Northern Territory petroleum reporting and data submission PDF (664.2 KB)
Guidelines for Northern Territory petroleum reporting and data submission DOCX (871.4 KB)

You must submit all geoscientific reports and data in digital form and the approved format.

Read more about content and format of geoscientific reports and data.

Initial well completion report

The report must contain the following:

  • a summary of well information
  • all drilling information
  • all drill logs
  • description and results of all tests
  • details of hydrocarbon show and a preliminary assessment of reservoir and prospective horizons
  • lists of samples collected
  • core photos.

Final well completion report

The report must contain the following:

  • information on the geological formations penetrated
  • reservoir properties
  • all the interpretations of the well data
  • results of all tests and core sample analyses
  • interpreted logs, including composite logs.

How to submit

Use the following checklist when submitting the well completion reports.

Checklist and transmittal for reports and data relating to wells PDF (41.8 KB)
Checklist and transmittal for reports and data relating to wells DOCX (63.2 KB)

Find out more about how to submit reports.


Submit petroleum drill cores, cuttings and samples

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.


Petroleum activity notifications and reports

Interest holders must notify the minister 21 days before commencing certain activities that relate to wells and petroleum surface infrastructure, as set out in the Petroleum Regulations 2020.

The minister may allow a shorter notification period if appropriate.

Notification ensures that the minister is aware of key activities being undertaken and supports the effective regulation of petroleum activities.

Activity notifications provide a mechanism and opportunity to review the specific activity against an approved well operations management plan or approved petroleum surface infrastructure plan to ensure ongoing interest holder compliance.

Submitting a notification

An activity notification must be submitted in the approved form and be accompanied by an overview of the work plan for the activity being notified.

A notice that relates to the drilling of a new well must be accompanied by a well plan summary, which will be published on Petroleum Onshore Information, NT. This is a publicly accessible online repository for documents and information about onshore petroleum activities in the NT.

The minister may request additional information before, during or after a notifiable activity is undertaken.

Failure to notify the minister prior to conducting a notifiable activity, and failure to comply with a request for information are infringement notice offences, meaning an on-the-spot fine may be issued for non-compliance.

However, the Petroleum Regulations 2020 include exemptions for emergency situations, and situations where it is reasonable and consistent with good oilfield practice to carry out the activity without notice due to circumstances existing at the time.

In this case, the notification must be provided as soon as reasonably practicable after carrying out the activity.

Daily well activity reports

Interest holders who conduct notifiable well activities must submit a report each day for the duration of the activity.

The report is due by 12 noon on the day immediately following the day to which the report relates.

Daily well activity reports provide the minister with an overview of well activities carried out on a day-to-day basis and provide an effective tool for assessing ongoing compliance with an approved well operations management plan.

Failure to submit a daily well activity report is an infringement notice offence, meaning an on-the-spot fine can be issued for non-compliance with this reporting requirement.

Monthly production reports

Interest holders who conduct activities under an approved field management plan or with approval of the minister to recover petroleum on an appraisal basis must submit a monthly production report.

A report for each month is due on the 15th day of the following month.

Monthly production reports outline the volumes of petroleum and water produced, used, injected, flared, or vented during the month.

They provide information for the whole interest area, as well as broken down on a per well basis.

Monthly production reports must be submitted using the approved form and must include all information set out in the Petroleum Regulations 2020.

They have a 6-month confidentiality period, and the minister may release information from the reports any time after the period ends.

Failure to submit a monthly production report is an infringement notice offence, meaning an on-the-spot fine can be issued for non-compliance with this reporting requirement.

Production test reports

Interest holders who conduct exploration or appraisal production well testing activities (without approval from the minister to recover petroleum on an appraisal basis) must submit a production test report monthly for the duration of the production test.

The production test report for each month is due on the 15th day of the following month.

Production test reports provide information about production test activities and results, including production rates, flow rates and volumes of petroleum flared or vented. They provide any conclusions or implications that can be drawn from production tests to prove commerciality of the reservoir.

Production test reports must be submitted in the approved form, and include the content set out in the Petroleum Regulations 2020.

Production test results cannot be released by the Minister unless the interest holder has published or released the information to the public, including any announcements to the Australian Securities Exchange.

Failure to submit a production test report is an infringement notice offence, meaning an on-the-spot fine may be issued for non-compliance with this reporting requirement.

Final well activity reports

Interest holders must submit a final well activity report within 3 months of completing a notifiable well activity, other than the drilling of a well which triggers a requirement to submit well completion reports.

Final well activity reports provide the minister with a broad range of valuable information about the activity including how and why the activity was conducted, details of equipment and contractors used, details of indications of petroleum resources encountered, and data produced while conducting the activity.

Failure to submit a final well activity report is an infringement notice offence, meaning an on-the-spot fine can be issued for non-compliance with this reporting requirement.

Final well activity reports must be submitted in the approved form and include all content relevant to the activity as set out in the Petroleum Regulations 2020.

Record keeping

You must maintain accurate records relating to any inspection, survey, testing, assessment or other activities that relate to approved permissioning plans or approval to recover appraisal gas.

The minister or an inspector can direct an interest holder to make available copies of key records.  It is an offence to contravene such a direction.

How to submit reports

To submit your reports, email dittpetroleum.operations@nt.gov.au.


Content and format of geoscientific reports and data


How to submit petroleum reports

You can submit reports as listed below.

Type of report Where to send it
Annual reports energytitles.ditt@nt.gov.au and copy dittpetroleum.operations@nt.gov.au
Drilling cores should be submitted to the core facility manager with the petroleum core submission form. geoscience.info@nt.gov.au
Well completion reports, seismic and other geophysical survey reports, geological studies (if files less than 10mb)

geoscience.info@nt.gov.au

Activity notifications, well activity reports, production reports and any other petroleum activity reports. dittpetroleum.operations@nt.gov.au

For larger petroleum geoscience reports and data, you can send them to the petroleum data manager using the details below.

You can also submit reports and data in person or by mail to:

Petroleum Data Manager
Northern Territory Geological Survey
Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade
Level 4 Paspalis Centrepoint building
48-50 Smith Street (Corner of Knuckey Street and Smith Street Mall)
Darwin NT 0800

GPO Box 4550
Darwin NT 0801

For more information, call 08 8999 5273 or email geoscience.info@nt.gov.au.