Petroleum Act 1984

(1) A permittee or licensee must give reports under this section if the drilling or boring of a well on a permit or licence area ceases or is completed.

(a) within 3 months after rig release – an initial well completion report in the approved form; and

(b) within 12 months after rig release, or within a longer period allowed by the Minister – a final well completion report in the approved form.

(3) A report under this section must include the prescribed information and comply with any guidelines published by the Minister for the purposes of this section.

(4) A person commits an offence if the person is required to give a report to the Minister under this section and the person contravenes that requirement.

Maximum penalty: 200 penalty units.

(5) An offence against subsection (4) is an offence of strict liability.

(6) If a permittee or licensee fails to comply with a requirement to give a report to the Minister under this section within the period required under this section, the prescribed late lodgement fee is payable by the permittee or licensee for each week or part of a week while the interest holder is in default.

(7) The Minister may remit an amount payable under subsection (6) in the whole or in part.

(8) The Minister may recover an amount payable under subsection (6) in a court of competent jurisdiction as a debt due and payable to the Territory.

(9) A report given to the Minister under this section remains confidential until the earliest of the following (and then may be released by the Minister):

(b) the date on which the permit or licence comes to an end (without a licence or new licence being granted to the permittee or licensee);