Section 82 - Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Resource Management and Administration) Regulations 2025 - Contents of well operations management plan | Zoe
Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Resource Management and Administration) Regulations 2025
82Contents of well operations management plan
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(1) Subject to subsection (2), a well operations management plan must include the matters set out in subsections (3) to (10) for each well covered by the plan.
(2) NOPSEMA may give a titleholder written permission not to include matters in a well operations management plan if those matters are regulated in the title.
Description of well and well activities covered by the plan
(3) A well operations management plan must include:
(a) a description of the well, and the well activities relating to the well, covered by the plan; and
(b) a timetable for carrying out and completing the well activities.
Well integrity risks and risk management processes
(4) A well operations management plan must include:
(a) a description of the management system used to:
(i) identify and assess risks to the integrity of the well; and
(ii) ensure the effectiveness of the proposed control measures that will be in place to ensure that risks to the integrity of the well will be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable throughout the life of the well; and
(b) a description and explanation of the concepts considered in relation to the well and how the concept selected for progression will reduce risks to the integrity of the well to as low as reasonably practicable and an acceptable level; and
(c) a description and explanation of the design, construction, operation and management of the well, and conduct of well activities, showing how risks to the integrity of the well will be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable and an acceptable level.
Well integrity standards, control measures, performance standards and acceptance criteria
(5) A well operations management plan must include the following matters:
(a) a description of the well integrity standards against which the performance of the titleholder in maintaining the integrity of the well is to be measured;
(b) a description of the control measures that will be in place to ensure that risks to the integrity of the well will be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable throughout the life of the well, including periods when the well is not operational but has not been permanently abandoned;
(c) a description of the performance standards for the control measures mentioned in paragraph (b);
(d) the acceptance criteria that will be used to determine whether the following are being met and maintained:
(i) the well integrity standards mentioned in paragraph (a);
(ii) the performance standards mentioned in paragraph (c).
Monitoring, auditing and assurance processes
(6) A well operations management plan must include a description of the monitoring, audit and well integrity assurance processes that will be implemented to ensure the well integrity standards mentioned in paragraph (5)(a) are being met throughout the life of the well, including periods when the well is not operational but has not been permanently abandoned.
Responsibilities of employees and contractors
(7) A well operations management plan must include:
(a) a description of the roles and responsibilities of employees, contractors and service providers in relation to the integrity of the well; and
(b) a description of the measures that will be used to ensure that employees, contractors and service providers carrying out well activities:
(i) are aware of their responsibilities in relation to the maintenance of the integrity of the well; and
(ii) have appropriate competencies and training.
Matters related to surrender of title
(8) A well operations management plan must include a description of the processes and arrangements that the titleholder will follow if the title is surrendered to ensure:
(a) if the titleholder is a petroleum exploration permittee, a petroleum retention lessee, a petroleum production licensee or an infrastructure licensee—that the titleholder will, to the satisfaction of NOPSEMA:
(i) plug or close off the well; and
(ii) provide for the conservation and protection of the natural resources in the strata intersected by the well; or
(b) if the titleholder is a greenhouse gas assessment permittee, a greenhouse gas holding lessee or a greenhouse gas injection licensee—that the titleholder will, to the satisfaction of the responsible Commonwealth Minister:
(i) plug or close off the well; and
(ii) provide for the conservation and protection of the natural resources in the strata intersected by the well.
Note 1: Under section 270 of the Act, the Joint Authority may consent to the surrender of certain titles only if the titleholder has, to the satisfaction of NOPSEMA, done certain things (including plugging or closing off wells and providing for the conservation and protection of natural resources).
Note 2: Under section 442 of the Act, the responsible Commonwealth Minister may consent to the surrender of a greenhouse gas title only if the titleholder has, to the Minister’s satisfaction, done certain things (including plugging or closing off wells and providing for the conservation and protection of natural resources).
Suspension and permanent abandonment
(9) A well operations management plan must include a description of the arrangements that will be in place for suspension and permanent abandonment of the well, showing the following:
(a) how, during the process of suspending or abandoning the well, risks to the integrity of the well will be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable;
(b) how the actions taken during that process will ensure that the integrity of the well is maintained while the well is suspended or abandoned;
(c) if the titleholder is a petroleum exploration permittee, a petroleum retention lessee or an infrastructure licensee—how the titleholder will, in the process of suspending or abandoning the well:
(i) comply with the applicable requirements under subsection 569(1) of the Act (about work practices) to which the titleholder is subject; and
(ii) satisfy paragraphs 270(3)(d), (e) and (f) of the Act (about consent to surrender a title);
(d) if the titleholder is a petroleum production licensee—how the titleholder will, in the process of suspending or abandoning the well:
(i) comply with the applicable requirements under subsections 569(1) and 570(1) of the Act (about work practices) to which the titleholder is subject; and
(ii) satisfy paragraphs 270(3)(d), (e) and (f) of the Act (about consent to surrender a title);
(e) if the titleholder is a greenhouse gas assessment permittee, a greenhouse gas holding lessee or a greenhouse gas injection licensee—how the titleholder will, in the process of suspending or abandoning the well:
(i) comply with the applicable requirements under subsection 570(1) of the Act (about work practices) to which the titleholder is subject; and
(ii) satisfy paragraphs 442(3)(d), (e) and (f) of the Act (about consent to surrender a title).
Measures and arrangements that will be used if there is a loss of well integrity
(10) A well operations management plan must include a description of the measures and arrangements that will be used to regain control of the well if there is a loss of integrity.
Other matters
(11) A well operations management plan may include any other information that the titleholder believes is relevant.
Division 4—Revision of well operations management plan