{"id":"petroleum-titles-browse-basin-act-2014","name":"Petroleum Titles (Browse Basin) Act 2014","slug":"petroleum-titles-browse-basin-act-2014","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":106127,"registerId":"wa-petroleum-titles-browse-basin-act-2014-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Petroleum Titles (Browse Basin) Act 2014","content":"![Crest]()Western Australia\n\nPetroleum Titles (Browse Basin) Act 2014\n\nWestern Australia\n\nPetroleum Titles (Browse Basin) Act 2014\n\nContents\n\nPart 1 — Preliminary\n\n1. Short title 1\n\n2. Commencement 1\n\n3. Terms used 1\n\nPart 2 — Petroleum titles in Scott Reef area\n\n4. Expansion of lease R2 5\n\n5. Expansion of lease TR/5 5\n\n6. New exploration permit under *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* 5\n\nPart 3 — Petroleum titles in Seringapatam Reef area\n\n7. New exploration permit under *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967* 6\n\n8. New exploration permit under *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* and subsequent expansion 6\n\nPart 4 — Transitional matters\n\n9. Locations 8\n\n10. Registers 8\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 10\n\nUncommenced provisions table 10\n\nDefined terms\n\n  \n\nWestern Australia\n\nPetroleum Titles (Browse Basin) Act 2014\n\nAn Act to make provision about certain petroleum titles in the Browse Basin as a consequence of changes to maritime boundaries and for related purposes.\n\nThe Parliament of Western Australia enacts as follows:\n\n## Part 1 — Preliminary\n\n##### 1. Short title\n\nThis is the *Petroleum Titles (Browse Basin) Act 2014*.\n\n##### 2. Commencement\n\nThis Act comes into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.\n\n##### 3. Terms used\n\nIn this Act —\n\nadjacent area has the meaning given in the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* section 5;\n\nadjacent area block means —\n\n(a) a WA‑30‑R adjacent area block; or\n\n(b) a WA‑315‑P adjacent area block; or\n\n(c) the WA‑398‑P adjacent area block;\n\ncommencement day means the day on which this Act comes into operation;\n\nCommonwealth Act means the *Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006* (Commonwealth);\n\nCommonwealth register means a register kept under the Commonwealth Act section 469;\n\ninshore block means —\n\n(a) a TR/5 inshore block; or\n\n(b) a WA‑30‑R inshore block; or\n\n(c) a WA‑315‑P inshore block;\n\nlease TR/5 means the retention lease of that designation in force under the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* Part III;\n\nlease R2 means the petroleum retention lease of that designation in force under the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967* Part III;\n\nlease WA‑30‑R means the petroleum retention lease of that designation in force under the Commonwealth Act Part 2.3;\n\npermit WA‑315‑P means the petroleum exploration permit of that designation in force under the Commonwealth Act Part 2.2;\n\npermit WA‑398‑P means the petroleum exploration permit of that designation in force under the Commonwealth Act Part 2.2;\n\nPGERA Minister means the Minister responsible for the administration of the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967*;\n\nPGERA register means the register kept under the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967* section 70;\n\nPSLA Minister means the Minister responsible for the administration of the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982*;\n\nPSLA register means the register kept under the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* section 75;\n\nrelevant renewal day means —\n\n(a) in relation to an adjacent area block —\n\n(i) if the block is a WA‑30‑R adjacent area block — WA‑30‑R renewal day; or\n\n(ii) if the block is a WA‑315‑P adjacent area block — WA‑315‑P renewal day; or\n\n(iii) if the block is the WA‑398‑P adjacent area block — WA‑398‑P renewal day;\n\nor\n\n(b) in relation to an inshore block —\n\n(i) if the block is a TR/5 inshore block — TR/5 renewal day; or\n\n(ii) if the block is a WA‑30‑R inshore block — WA‑30‑R renewal day; or\n\n(iii) if the block is a WA‑315‑P inshore block — WA‑315‑P renewal day;\n\nTR/5 inshore block means a block as defined in the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967* section 5(1) that, immediately before TR/5 renewal day, is purportedly the subject of lease TR/5;\n\nTR/5 renewal day means the day on which lease TR/5 is first renewed under the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* after commencement day;\n\nWA‑30‑R adjacent area block means a block as defined in the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* section 4 that, immediately before WA‑30‑R renewal day, is the subject of lease WA‑30‑R;\n\nWA‑30‑R inshore block means a block as defined in the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967* section 5(1) that, immediately before WA‑30‑R renewal day, is purportedly the subject of lease WA‑30‑R;\n\nWA‑30‑R renewal day means the day on which lease WA‑30‑R is first renewed under the Commonwealth Act after commencement day;\n\nWA‑315‑P adjacent area block means a block as defined in the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* section 4 that, immediately before WA‑315‑P renewal day, is the subject of permit WA‑315‑P;\n\nWA‑315‑P inshore block means a block as defined in the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967* section 5(1) that, immediately before WA‑315‑P renewal day, is purportedly the subject of lease WA‑315‑P;\n\nWA‑315‑P renewal day means the day on which permit WA‑315‑P is first renewed under the Commonwealth Act after commencement day;\n\nWA‑398‑P adjacent area block means the block as defined in the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* section 4 that, immediately before WA‑398‑P renewal day, is the subject of permit WA‑398‑P;\n\nWA‑398‑P renewal day means the day on which permit WA‑398‑P is first renewed under the Commonwealth Act after commencement day.\n\n## Part 2 — Petroleum titles in Scott Reef area\n\n##### 4. Expansion of lease R2\n\n(1) On WA‑30‑R renewal day each WA‑30‑R inshore block becomes the subject of lease R2 and part of its lease area for the purposes of the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967*.\n\n(2) On TR/5 renewal day each TR/5 inshore block becomes the subject of lease R2 and part of its lease area for the purposes of the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967*.\n\n##### 5. Expansion of lease TR/5\n\nOn WA‑30‑R renewal day each WA‑30‑R adjacent area block becomes the subject of lease TR/5 and part of its lease area for the purposes of the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982*.\n\n##### 6. New exploration permit under *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982*\n\n(1) On WA‑315‑P renewal day the PSLA Minister is to grant an exploration permit for petroleum to the holder of permit WA‑315‑P in respect of the WA‑315‑P adjacent area block in the vicinity of North Scott Reef.\n\n(2) The permit can be granted subject to such conditions as the PSLA Minister thinks fit and specifies in the permit, including conditions of the kind described in the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* section 33(2).\n\n(3) For the purposes of the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* and any other written law, the permit granted under subsection (1) is to be taken to be an exploration permit for petroleum granted under Part III of that Act.\n\n## Part 3 — Petroleum titles in Seringapatam Reef area\n\n##### 7. New exploration permit under *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967*\n\n(1) On WA‑315‑P renewal day the PGERA Minister is to grant a petroleum exploration permit to the holder of permit WA‑315‑P in respect of the WA‑315‑P inshore blocks in the vicinity of Seringapatam Reef.\n\n(2) The permit can be granted subject to such conditions as the PGERA Minister thinks fit and specifies in the permit, including conditions of the kind described in the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967* section 43(2).\n\n(3) For the purposes of the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967* and any other written law, the permit granted under subsection (1) is to be taken to be a petroleum exploration permit granted under Part III of that Act.\n\n##### 8. New exploration permit under *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* and subsequent expansion\n\n(1) On WA‑315‑P renewal day the PSLA Minister is to grant an exploration permit for petroleum to the holder of permit WA‑315‑P in respect of the WA‑315‑P adjacent area blocks in the vicinity of Seringapatam Reef.\n\n(2) The permit can be granted subject to such conditions as the PSLA Minister thinks fit and specifies in the permit, including conditions of the kind described in the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* section 33(2).\n\n(3) For the purposes of the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* and any other written law, the permit granted under subsection (1) is to be taken to be an exploration permit for petroleum granted under Part III of that Act.\n\n(4) On WA‑398‑P renewal day the WA‑398‑P adjacent area block becomes the subject of the permit granted under subsection (1) and part of its permit area for the purposes of the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982*.\n\n## Part 4 — Transitional matters\n\n##### 9. Locations\n\n(1) An inshore block that immediately before the relevant renewal day is, or forms part of, a location declared under the Commonwealth Act section 131 or the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* section 37 is, on and after the relevant renewal day, to be taken to be a location declared under the *Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967* section 47.\n\n(2) An adjacent area block that immediately before the relevant renewal day is, or forms part of, a location declared under the Commonwealth Act section 131 is, on and after the relevant renewal day, to be taken to be a location declared under the *Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982* section 37.\n\n##### 10. Registers\n\n(1) The PGERA Minister is to —\n\n(a) make any entry or endorsement in the PGERA register that the Minister considers necessary to ensure that the PGERA register accurately records the effect of this Act; and\n\n(b) record in the PGERA register any information relating to an inshore block that immediately before the relevant renewal day is recorded in a Commonwealth register or the PSLA register.\n\n(2) The PSLA Minister is to —\n\n(a) make any entry or endorsement in the PSLA register that the PSLA Minister considers necessary to ensure that the PSLA register accurately records the effect of this Act; and\n\n(b) record in the PSLA register any information relating to an adjacent area block that immediately before the relevant renewal day is recorded in a Commonwealth register.\n\nNotes\n\nThis is a compilation of the *Petroleum Titles (Browse Basin) Act 2014* and includes amendments made by other written laws. For provisions that have come into operation see the compilation table. For provisions that have not yet come into operation see the uncommenced provisions table.\n\nCompilation table\n\n| **Short title** | **Number and year** | **Assent** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| *Petroleum Titles (Browse Basin) Act 2014* | 30 of 2014 | 3 Dec 2014 | 3 Dec 2014 (see s. 2) |\n\n\nUncommenced provisions table\n\nTo view the text of the uncommenced provisions see *Acts as passed* on the WA Legislation website.\n\n| **Short title** | **Number and year** | **Assent** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| *Petroleum Legislation Amendment Act 2024* Pt. 5 Div. 12 and s. 433(2), 435(2) and 436(2) | 17 of 2024 | 14 May 2024 | To be proclaimed (see s. 2(b)) |\n\n\nDefined terms\n\n*[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]*\n\n**Defined term Provision(s)**\n\nadjacent area 3\n\nadjacent area block 3\n\ncommencement day 3\n\nCommonwealth Act 3\n\nCommonwealth register 3\n\ninshore block 3\n\nlease R2 3\n\nlease TR/5 3\n\nlease WA‑30‑R 3\n\npermit WA‑315‑P 3\n\npermit WA‑398‑P 3\n\nPGERA Minister 3\n\nPGERA register 3\n\nPSLA Minister 3\n\nPSLA register 3\n\nrelevant renewal day 3\n\nTR/5 inshore block 3\n\nTR/5 renewal day 3\n\nWA‑30‑R adjacent area block 3\n\nWA‑30‑R inshore block 3\n\nWA‑30‑R renewal day 3\n\nWA‑315‑P adjacent area block 3\n\nWA‑315‑P inshore block 3\n\nWA‑315‑P renewal day 3\n\nWA‑398‑P adjacent area block 3\n\nWA‑398‑P renewal day 3\n\n© State of Western Australia 2024.\n\nThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). To view relevant information and for a link to a copy of the licence, visit www.legislation.wa.gov.au.\n\nAttribute work as: © State of Western Australia 2024.\n\nBy Authority: GEOFF O. LAWN, Government Printer\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Act is narrowly focused: it implements title transfers, expansions and new State permits in specific Browse Basin blocks as a consequence of maritime-boundary-related changes. There is no visible expansion beyond that original, technical purpose in the text (the provisions operate only on named leases/permits and specified renewal-day triggers — see Preamble and Parts 2–4)."},"complexity_factors":["Around 28 defined terms in the interpretation section (s.3)","Multiple cross-references to three other Acts (Commonwealth Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982, Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967)","Several conditional \"trigger\" events tied to different renewal days (WA-30-R, WA-315-P, WA-398-P, TR/5), creating temporal complexity","Different classes of blocks (inshore blocks vs adjacent area blocks) with differing treatment","Ministerial discretion to impose conditions on new permits (s.6(2), s.7(2), s.8(2))","Staged or sequential effects (permits granted on WA-315-P renewal day and later expansion on WA-398-P renewal day — s.8(4))","Transitional rules affecting declared locations and register harmonisation obligations (s.9–10)","Short statute but dense with cross-references and conditional legal effects rather than policy detail"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does, in plain language**\n\n- This Act rearranges who holds and administers certain petroleum exploration and retention titles (leases and permits) in parts of the Browse Basin (areas near Scott Reef and Seringapatam Reef) because of changes to maritime boundaries.\n\n- The changes are mostly automatic and triggered when particular existing Commonwealth or State titles are first renewed after this Act starts. The Act defines those trigger days as various “renewal day” dates (see the definitions in section 3).\n\n**Key mechanical effects (what happens, and when)**\n\n- Expansion of an existing State lease called R2 so that, on particular renewal days, specified inshore blocks become part of lease R2 (see s.4(1)–(2)).\n\n- Expansion of an existing retention lease TR/5 so that specified adjacent-area blocks become part of lease TR/5 on a particular renewal day (see s.5).\n\n- On the WA-315-P renewal day, the State Minister responsible for the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act (the PSLA Minister) must grant an exploration permit to the holder of Commonwealth permit WA-315-P for the WA-315-P adjacent area block near North Scott Reef; that permit may include conditions the Minister thinks fit and is to be treated as a normal PSLA exploration permit (see s.6(1)–(3)).\n\n- On the WA-315-P renewal day the State Minister responsible for the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act (the PGERA Minister) must grant a State exploration permit to the holder of WA-315-P for inshore blocks near Seringapatam Reef; that permit may include conditions and is to be treated as a normal State exploration permit (see s.7(1)–(3)).\n\n- Also on WA-315-P renewal day the PSLA Minister must grant an exploration permit for adjacent-area blocks near Seringapatam Reef to the WA-315-P holder; that permit may be expanded on a later WA-398-P renewal day so that the WA-398-P adjacent block becomes part of that permit (see s.8(1)–(4)).\n\n- The Act converts certain location declarations recorded under the Commonwealth or other Acts so they are treated as locations under the relevant State Acts after the relevant renewal day (see s.9).\n\n- The two State Ministers (PGERA Minister and PSLA Minister) must update their registers to record these changes and carry across any information that was on Commonwealth registers immediately before the relevant renewal days (see s.10).\n\n**Who is affected**\n\n- Holders of the specific identified titles: lease R2, lease TR/5, lease WA-30-R, permit WA-315-P, permit WA-398-P (these are defined in s.3).\n- The PGERA Minister and the PSLA Minister (they must grant permits, set conditions, and update registers).\n- Administrators and registries that keep records under the State Acts and the Commonwealth Act (they must make entries to reflect the transfers).\n\n**Why it matters (practical consequences and mechanics)**\n\n- The Act changes which statutory regime applies to particular blocks (moves some blocks into the State’s PGERA regime and others into the PSLA/submerged-lands regime). That changes which laws, conditions and compliance processes govern exploration and retention activity on those blocks (see s.4–8).\n\n- The holder of WA-315-P receives a right to State permits (both inshore and adjacent-area) on the WA-315-P renewal day, preserving continuity of title though under a different statutory regime (see s.6–8).\n\n- Ministers retain discretion to impose permit conditions (s.6(2), s.7(2), s.8(2)). That discretion affects what operational, environmental or technical obligations attach to the new permits.\n\n- Registers must be updated so public records match the new legal positions (s.10). That is an administrative duty but also important for the legal certainty of property rights.\n\n**Implementation, incentives and trade-offs (analyst’s note)**\n\n- Concentrated benefits: The direct gains flow to the specific existing title-holders named in the Act — they receive State title recognition or expansions of existing State leases on defined trigger days (see s.4–8). Those benefits are concrete and targeted.\n\n- Administrative costs and burden: State ministers and registry staff must make entries and endorsements to reflect the changes (s.10). Title-holders may face compliance work to align operations with the new permit conditions and reporting obligations under the State Acts.\n\n- Ministerial discretion and regulatory uncertainty: Although the Act requires ministers to grant permits to particular holders on renewal days, it expressly permits ministers to specify conditions (s.6(2), s.7(2), s.8(2)). That preserves administrative discretion which can change operational obligations and create uncertainty until conditions are published.\n\n- Cross-jurisdictional coordination: The Act relies on Commonwealth and State timing (renewal days under different Acts; see definitions in s.3). The effective dates of regime change are therefore tied to lifecycle events of existing Commonwealth/State titles, which can create timing uncertainty for planning and investment.\n\n- Effects on private enterprise: The measure preserves or extends title continuity for specified holders (reducing the risk of title loss on boundary change), which supports continued exploration activity by those firms. It does not open the areas to general new competitors; rather it transfers or confirms rights to named holders.\n\n- Risk of substitution or unintended consequences: By moving blocks between statutory regimes and allowing later expansions (for example s.8(4)), the Act can change the pool of legal obligations and commercial options attached to a block (for example different condition-sets or approval processes), which may change commercial valuations or project structures.\n\n**Where to look in the Act for the mechanics**\n\n- Definitions and trigger concepts: section 3.  \n- Scott Reef changes (lease R2 and TR/5 expansions; new PSLA permit for WA-315-P): sections 4–6.  \n- Seringapatam Reef changes (PGERA and PSLA permits and expansion on WA-398-P renewal): sections 7–8.  \n- Transitional treatment of declared locations: section 9.  \n- Register update duties: section 10.\n\n"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act remains tightly focused on its original purpose: facilitating the transfer of petroleum title administration following the 2012 Australia-Indonesia maritime boundary treaty. The scope has not expanded beyond the specific Browse Basin titles (WA-30-R, TR/5, WA-315-P, WA-398-P) and the technical adjustments needed to maintain continuity of tenure across the redrawn boundary."},"complexity_factors":["22 defined terms in section 3, many of which are nested definitions referring to other defined terms (e.g., 'relevant renewal day' has 6 sub-definitions depending on block type)","Heavy cross-referencing to three separate petroleum regimes: the Commonwealth Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, WA's Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982, and WA's Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967","Temporal complexity: the Act operates on multiple 'renewal days' (WA-30-R renewal day, TR/5 renewal day, WA-315-P renewal day, WA-398-P renewal day) which are trigger dates based on future administrative actions (renewal of leases/permits)","Dual jurisdictional logic: the Act must distinguish between 'adjacent area blocks' (offshore/Commonwealth influenced) and 'inshore blocks' (State waters), applying different legislative regimes to each","Conditional mechanics: sections 4-8 operate 'on' specific renewal days, creating future conditional legal effects rather than immediate operation","Mirror provisions: sections 6, 7, and 8(1)-(3) are nearly identical but apply to different legislative regimes, requiring careful tracking of which Minister and which Act applies"],"plain_english_summary":"This Western Australian law tidies up who owns the rights to drill for oil and gas in the Browse Basin, off the Kimberley coast, after Australia and Indonesia redrew their maritime boundary in 2012.\n\n**What changed?**\nWhen international boundaries shift, some seabed blocks that were once under Commonwealth (federal) control ended up under Western Australian control, and vice versa. This Act makes sure the companies holding exploration permits and retention leases don't lose their rights just because the boundary moved.\n\n**What does the Act actually do?**\n\n*   **Expands existing leases:** It automatically adds certain seabed blocks to existing petroleum leases (called \"lease R2\" and \"lease TR/5\") when those leases are renewed, so the holders keep the same area they had before the boundary change.\n\n*   **Creates new exploration permits:** It requires the relevant WA Ministers to grant new exploration permits to existing permit holders for blocks that moved from Commonwealth to State waters. These permits are treated as if they were granted under the normal petroleum laws.\n\n*   **Handles the paperwork:** It ensures that the official registers recording who owns what are updated to reflect these changes, copying across relevant information from Commonwealth registers.\n\n**Who does this affect?**\n\n*   Companies holding petroleum titles in the Scott Reef and Seringapatam Reef areas (specifically leases and permits designated WA-30-R, TR/5, WA-315-P, and WA-398-P).\n*   The Western Australian Ministers responsible for petroleum resources.\n\n**Why does it matter?**\nWithout this law, companies could have found themselves holding permits for areas that no longer legally existed under the legislation they were granted under, or worse, losing rights to valuable petroleum deposits because of a boundary technicality. It provides legal certainty for investment in offshore gas projects."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed as no legislative content was available in the provided source. The document contains only a website error message and an Acknowledgement of Country, with no provisions, schedules, or explanatory material to analyse."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative content was retrievable — the source is a broken link error page only","Cannot assess complexity without access to the actual text of the Act","Score of 1 reflects absence of content, not simplicity of the underlying law"],"plain_english_summary":"The page for the Petroleum Titles (Browse Basin) Act 2014 is unavailable, so no reliable summary of its provisions, affected parties, or obligations can be provided. The title suggests it deals with petroleum exploration/production rights in the Browse Basin, but that cannot be confirmed from the broken link. To obtain the Act, consult the Western Australian Legislation website or contact the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/petroleum-titles-browse-basin-act-2014","history":"/api/acts/petroleum-titles-browse-basin-act-2014/history","analysis":"/api/acts/petroleum-titles-browse-basin-act-2014/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/petroleum-titles-browse-basin-act-2014/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/petroleum-titles-browse-basin-act-2014/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/petroleum-titles-browse-basin-act-2014/documents"}}