Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston calls for bids on Pilbara and Kimberley petroleum exploration areas

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston is calling for applicants to bid on eight areas for petroleum exploration in Western Australia. The blocks are based in the Northern Carnarvon Basin and Amadeus Basin and vary in size from 390 to 10,282 square kilometres — with seven of the blocks being onshore and one offshore in State waters. The Government said the acreage had been released for exploration through a competitive bidding system, and successful bidders may apply for a petroleum exploration permit that allows the company to conduct exploration activities within the specified title for six years. Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston said the government would continue to create opportunities within the States natural resources industry, and that exploration is the bedrock of ongoing success. “The petroleum sector continues to be a key contributor to WA’s economic success with sales of more than $23 billion in the 2020-21 financial year,” he said. “Any acreage awarded will be subject to the State Governments policy on hydraulic fracturing, which means this extraction process will not be permitted on these blocks.” The government said all petroleum activities are rigorously assessed and approved by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety before work can begin, and other approvals related to environmental and Native Title considerations may also be required. The application period for this acreage release closes at 4pm on Thursday June 16, 2022.