Petroleum Act 1998

In this Act—

S. 4 def. of authority amended by No. 57/2009 s. 35(b).

authority means an exploration permit, a retention lease, a production licence, special access authorisation or a special drilling authorisation;

Crown land means land that is, or that is by any Act deemed to be, unalienated land of the Crown, and includes—

but does not include—

S. 4 def. of current authority holder inserted by No. 57/2009 s. 35(a).

current authority holder means a holder of a primary authorisation;

S. 4 def. of Department amended by Nos 56/2003 s. 11(Sch. item 14), 70/2013 s. 4(Sch. 2 item 34), 20/2020 s. 5(1), 41/2025 s. 4(Sch. 2 item 21).

Department means the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action;

S. 4 def. of drilling authorisation area inserted by No. 57/2009 s. 35(a).

drilling authorisation area means the area specified in a special drilling authorisation granted under Part 6A;

gathering line has the meaning set out in section 82;

S. 4 def. of good oil-field practice repealed by No. 55/2010 s. 58.

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S. 4 def. of hydraulic fracturing inserted by No. 8/2017 s. 8.

hydraulic fracturing means the injection of a substance or substances into a bore under pressure for the purposes of stimulating a geological formation;

improvement notice means a notice issued under section 216;

inspector means a person authorised by the Minister under section 198 to act as an inspector;

Native Title Act means the Native Title Act 1993 of the Commonwealth;

native title land means land in which native title (within the meaning of the Native Title Act) may exist;

S. 4 def. of offshore area inserted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(1).

offshore area has the same meaning as in the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010;

S. 4 def. of offshore petroleum exploration permit inserted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(1).

offshore petroleum exploration permit means a petroleum exploration permit within the meaning of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010;

S. 4 def. of offshore petroleum production licence inserted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(1).

offshore petroleum production licence means a petroleum production licence within the meaning of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010;

S. 4 def. of offshore petroleum retention lease inserted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(1).

offshore petroleum retention lease means a petroleum retention lease within the meaning of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010;

owner means—

parks Crown land means any land that is a national, State or other park under the National Parks Act 1975;

petroleum has the meaning set out in section 6;

petroleum exploration has the meaning set out in section 7;

petroleum operation means any activity relating to petroleum exploration or to petroleum production;

petroleum pool means a naturally occurring discrete accumulation of petroleum;

petroleum production has the meaning set out in section 8;

petroleum register means the register established under Division 1 of Part 14;

S. 4 def. of primary authorisation inserted by No. 57/2009 s. 35(a), substituted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(2).

primary authorisation means—

private land means land that is not Crown land or native title land;

prohibition notice means a notice issued under section 217;

S. 4 defs of P(SL)A lease, P(SL)A licence, P(SL)A permit inserted by No. 57/2009 s. 35(a), repealed by No. 64/2012 s. 46(3).

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reservoir means an underground natural reservoir that is suitable for the storage of petroleum;

S. 4 def. of restricted Crown land amended by No. 63/2006 s. 61(Sch. item 27).

restricted Crown land means any land specified in Schedule 3 to the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990;

retention period means a period of 60 days after the seizure of a thing under this Act;

S. 4 def. of Secretary inserted by No. 20/2020 s. 5(2).

Secretary means the Department Head, within the meaning of the Public Administration Act 2004, of the Department;

Tribunal means the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal;

unit development agreement means an agreement made under Division 9 of Part 5;

unrestricted Crown land means any Crown land other than wilderness Crown land, parks Crown land and restricted Crown land;

vary, in relation to the conditions of an authority, includes adding conditions to, and removing conditions from, the authority;

well means a hole in the sub-soil made by drilling, boring or any other means in connection with a petroleum operation, but does not include a seismic shot hole;

well-head has the meaning set out in section 151;

wilderness Crown land means land that is a reference area under the Reference Areas Act 1978 or that is a wilderness zone or wilderness park under the National Parks Act 1975;

work program has the meaning set out in section 97.