Please note that nominating large numbers of areas can create concerns from other marine users and impact on community acceptance of the offshore petroleum industry.

Nominations should demonstrate a genuine intent to start activities in the immediate term. As a guide:

if you represent an exploration and production company, your nomination would indicate a strong interest in exploring the area and potentially bidding in the next scheduled acreage release
if you represent a geophysical company, you are expected to have recent non-exclusive data products over the nominated area available during the next scheduled bidding period (July to March)

We do not place limits on the number of nominations you can put forward, however the government may change this if:

areas are routinely not bid on
nominations consistently lack a well-considered rationale

Nomination areas, or parts of areas, may be excluded for various reasons including, but not limited to:

National security or legal reasons. For example, if a nominated area extends into a green or yellow Australian marine park zone, or is impacted by international maritime boundaries;
Where precompetitive open-file studies of the geology or other features of the area are being undertaken;
The ability to undertake efficient exploration in a nominated area. Considerations may include the impact of Biologically Important Areas (BIA) or offshore defence activities on exploration activities.

The Joint Authorities must consider and endorse release areas before they can progress to the bidding rounds. It is important to provide sufficient reasoning for nominations, particularly in frontier areas where existing infrastructure is limited. This is so we can ensure long-term energy supply into the future. Consideration will also be given to current government objectives to decide whether to progress the area through the acreage release process.

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