Acreage Releases

Offshore Otway Basin Federal offshore acreage release, NOPTA guidance note revisions and NOPIMS changes

03/02/2026 Posted by Rachel

With the long awaited offshore Otway Basin drilling campaign finally underway, the Federal Minister for Resources the Hon Madeleine King announced on 11 December 2025 the release of five areas for work program bidding. Application bids on the five release areas is due 30 June 2026. A public consultation process in parallel is open until 6 February 2026. More on the acreage release and details on how to bid can be found at https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/2025-otway-offshore-petroleum-exploration-acreage-release

This petroleum exploration acreage release is the first since 2022 and the release of the Governments Future Gas Strategy in May 2024 .

US Power Prices ‘Set to Surge’ saysWoodMac

28/02/2025 Posted by Dale

LOBE NEWSWIRE) -- US power demand has remained essentially flat for the past decade, but this is all about to change as a pending surge in demand growth will be the biggest challenge for utility companies in decades, according to the latest Horizons report from Wood Mackenzie.

According to the report, “Gridlock: the demand dilemma facing the US power industry” US electricity demand growth will be between 4% and 15% through 2029, depending on the region, with burgeoning data-centre development, a resurgence in energy-intensive US manufacturing, and greater transport and heating electrification driving electricity demand growth not seen since the 1990s.

New Round of WA Onshore Exploration Areas a ‘Win for New Gas Supply’

23/10/2023 Posted by Dale

The release of new onshore areas to explore for new gas supply is a positive step to delivering energy security to Western Australia following forecasts of growing demand in coming years.

AusGasCo Awarded Additional Acreage in Surat and Bowen basins

07/06/2022 Posted by Dale

Emerging Queensland natural gas explorer AusGasCo has been awarded preferred tenderer status for two prospective gas blocks in the state’s world-class natural gas region.

Greenhouse Gas Storage areas open for public consultation

21/09/2021 Posted by Dale

The Australian Federal Government has opened public consultation on five potential areas for the 2021 Offshore Greenhouse Gas Storage Acreage Release program.

Leigh Creek lights up with two licence award in SA

13/07/2020 Posted by Dale

Oil and gas junior Leigh Creek Energy has been awarded two exploration blocks in South Australia.

The Adelaide-based explorer told share holders that it had successfully won PEL 675 and PEL 676 by the Department of Energy and Mining. Both licences were released in last year’s Cooper Basin Acreage Release.

Leigh Creek said it still has to secure Native Title agreements, before which planned work programs over the next five years could commence. These include 2D and 3D seismic surveying and the drilling of exploration wells at PEL 676.

Both permits are located in close proximity to previous hydrocarbon discoveries, Leigh Creek said, and the company will pursue farm-in endeavours to optimise its acreage in the Cooper and Eromanga basins.

SA announces successful applicants for acreage in Cooper and Otway Basins

06/07/2020 Posted by Dale

The State Government of South Australia has announced the successful bids for five new Petroleum Exploration Licences (PELs) with a guaranteed work program valued at $58.85 million over the next five years.

The Department for Energy and Mining said the successful applicants for new PELs in the Cooper Basin are Leigh Creek Energy, Cordillo Energy, Gidgee Energy and Vintage Energy.

Minister for Energy and Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan said there were great opportunities to ramp up exploration activities as South Australia’s restrictions due to COVID-19 begin to ease.

“South Australia aims to rebound quickly from the pandemic-led slowdown and petroleum exploration will be a significant contributor to a sharp recovery,” said Minister van Holst Pellekaan.

Chevron, Total win blocks offshore Brazil

15/10/2019 Posted by Dale

Chevron and Total have been awarded blocks offshore Brazil in the country’s 16th bidding round.

The US supermajor and its partners, Wintershall Dea and Repsol, picked up acreage in the Santos and Campos basins comprising blocks S-M-766 and C-M-845, which contain pre-salt targets and a work program intended to conduct 3D seismic acquisition and prospect maturation.

French Total and co-venturers Qatar Petroleum and Petronas won the C-M-541 deep offshore block in the Campos Basin, which sits in water depths of 3000m. Total is the operator and 40% interest holder with Qatar weighing in with a 40% stake and Petronas 20%.

Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale Yields More Than $159 Million in High Bids

26/08/2019 Posted by Dale

United States Interior’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Andrea Travnicek has announced that region-wide Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 253 generated $159,386,761 in high bids for 151 tracts covering 835,006 acres in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A total of 27 companies participated in the lease sale, submitting $174,922,200 in all bids. “We are excited about the results from today’s lease sale, which show a continued upward trend for the year. The total from today’s lease sale and the March sale is the highest since 2015 for high bids,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Travnicek.

Australia launches largest offshore acreage release since 2000

05/08/2019 Posted by Dale

Australia has released 64 areas for offshore oil and gas exploration in the 2019 Offshore Petroleum Acreage Release, representing the largest rollout of acreage in 19 years. Bidding will be open until 5 March 2020 with over 120,000km² released for a single round of work program bidding. Australia Minister for Resources Matt Canavan said the latest release was the first under a new streamlined system designed to deliver an annual investment cycle that “simplifies bidding, offers greater transparency and responds faster to the market demand”.