Petroleum Act 1984

(1) The Minister may, at any time, release or publish statistical or industry information, collected or acquired under this Act, that does not identify a particular person or body.

(2) The Minister may, at any time, release information, collected or acquired under this Act to another Minister if the release:

(a) is for the purposes of the calculation, collection or recovery of:

(b) relates to the exercise of a power or the performance of a function by the other Minister under this Act.

(3) The Minister may release or publish basic information, collected or acquired under this Act, at any time after 2 years from the date on which the information was required to be given to the Minister under this Act (even if the information was not given to the Minister on time).

(4) The Minister may release or publish interpretative information, collected or acquired under this Act, at any time after 4 years from the date on which information forming part of the interpretative information was required to be given to the Minister under this Act (even if the information was not given to the Minister on time).

(5) The Minister may release or publish any other information relating to a petroleum interest of a kind prescribed for this subsection at any time after 5 years from the date on which it was given or acquired by the Minister.

(6) A time limit under subsection (3), (4) or (5) ceases to apply to the release of the information if:

(a) the petroleum interest to which the information relates comes to an end, other than in the case of a permit or licence if a licence or new licence is granted to the permittee or licensee; or

(b) the information relates exclusively to a particular block and the block is relinquished.

(7) The Minister must not release or publish the following information under subsections (1) to (6):

(b) other information the disclosure of which would, or could reasonably be expected to, adversely affect the lawful business, commercial or financial affairs of a person;

(iii) outlining or comprising technical advice that has been provided to an applicant for a petroleum interest or to the holder of a petroleum interest; or

(iv) outlining the financial resources available to an applicant for a petroleum interest or to the holder of a petroleum interest;

(8) This section does not limit the power of the Minister to release information:

(b) if the Minister is required to release the information by a court or the Tribunal; or

(c) if the information is required for compliance or enforcement proceedings (including a prosecution or proceedings for a civil order) under this Act or being considered under this Act; or

(d) if the Minister is authorised to release the information by regulation for this subsection.

(9) Information that the Minister must not release under this section is exempt from the operation of the Information Act 2002.

(10) Subsection (9) does not extend to Part 9 of the Information Act 2002.

basic information is any information or data acquired or observed in the field or a laboratory and includes physical and chemical measurements conducted as part of the analysis of fluid or core or cutting samples.

interpretative information is a conclusion or opinion based wholly or partly on basic information analysis or other documentary information.