Petroleum minimum standards

NSW Resources updated the Petroleum prospecting minimum standards in February 2023. They set out the NSW Government’s framework for determining applications to grant, renew and transfer petroleum prospecting titles.They will apply to all petroleum titles granted or renewed from 1 February 2023 and detail the mandatory criteria required to be satisfied to meet the minimum standards for petroleum titles and how NSW Resources will apply them.

Petroleum prospecting titles granted or renewed before 1 February 2023 remain subject to the 2015 Minimum Standards and Merit Assessment Procedure until NSW Resources receives an application to renew these titles.

Download the updated minimum standards (PDF, 160.91 KB) published in February 2023.

Download a full version of Minimum Standards and Merit Assessment Procedure (PDF, 478.12 KB) published on September 2015.

Non-performance or non-compliance with the minimum standards without satisfactory justification may be grounds for refusing a petroleum prospecting title application. NSW Resources considers these matters, in addition to an applicant's corporate, compliance and environmental performance history, when assessing applications to grant, renew and transfer titles.

Consistent with the NSW Resource Regulator's Compliance and Enforcement Approach, any actions to refuse or cancel a prospecting title will be proportionate to the non-compliance identified and the seriousness of any non-compliance.

New prospecting title applications that include National Parks, nature reserves and other areas excluded by legislation will not be accepted and will be returned to the applicant.