17AMeaning of offshore facility

17A Meaning of offshore facility

(1) An offshore facility is a facility, located in an offshore area, that is used in the extraction of petroleum from the seabed or its subsoil with equipment on, or forming part of, the facility, and includes: (a) any structure, located in the offshore area, used in operations or activities associated with, or incidental to, activities of that kind; and (b) any vessel, located in the offshore area, used in operations or activities associated with, or incidental to, activities of that kind. (2) A FPSO located in an offshore area is an offshore facility. (3) A FSU located in an offshore area is an offshore facility.

Note: A FPSO or FSU is both a ship and an offshore facility. As it is an offshore facility, the Secretary may declare it to be a security regulated offshore facility. If this happens, the ship ceases to be a security regulated ship.

(4) However, a ship is not an offshore facility, and does not form part of an offshore facility, if it is: (a) an offtake tanker; or (b) a tug or an anchor handler; or (c) a ship used to supply an offshore facility, or otherwise travel between an offshore facility and the shore; or (d) a FPSO; or (e) a FSU. (5) An offshore facility does not include any pipeline that is beneath the low water mark. (6) A mobile offshore drilling unit is not an offshore facility, and does not form part of an offshore facility. (7) In this Act, an offshore area is an area in: (a) Australian waters; or (b) the exclusive economic zone of Australia (including its external Territories); or (c) the sea over the continental shelf of Australia (including its external Territories).