Public release of data

The Titles Administrator releases data from offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas survey and well activities.

This relates to the:

• Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Resource Management and Administration) Regulations 2025 (RMA Regulations).
• Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Resource Management and Administration) Regulations 2011 (RMA Regulations 2011).

Data release dates

Release dates for offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas data vary according to the type of information and the legislation under which it was collected.

You can find full details of the release provisions in the 2025 RMA Regulations on legislation.gov.au. Refer to Parts 8 for petroleum and 10 for greenhouse gas (GHG).

Open information

'Open information' about a well, survey or reprocessing project may be made publicly known at any time.

It includes the name, location, type or purpose, and other general details relating to the activity. These are defined in section 6 of the RMA Regulations.

Relevant day

All information and data submitted to NOPTA in accordance with the relevant legislation remains confidential until it is both eligible and authorised for release.

The ‘relevant day’ determines the earliest day that information becomes eligible for release.

To indicate when data may become eligible for release, basic and interpretative relevant days are recorded against activities conducted since 2012.

These are available on the National Offshore Petroleum Information Management System (NOPIMS).

However, the relevant day is only one part of the requirements that must be satisfied prior to release. As such, users of NOPIMS should note the relevant day published will not always reflect the actual day of release.

NOPTA aims to authorise the release of data on the first business day of each week.

Once authorised, data becomes available from NOPIMS or the National Offshore Petroleum Data and Core Repository (NOPDCR) as soon as practicable.

Releasing basic disclosable well information

Relates to subsections 152(5), 158(2) and 202(5), 208(2).

The relevant day for basic well reports and data (including samples) is the earlier of:

• 2 years after the end of the operation, or
• if the title has expired, been surrendered, cancelled, revoked or terminated, the day the title ceased.

Releasing basic disclosable survey information

Relates to sections and subsections 152 (2–4), 155 and 202(2–4), 205.

The relevant day for survey reports and data can vary according to:

• survey type
• permit type
• commercial intent (exclusivity).

For data relating to seismic surveys, other geophysical surveys and geological surveys, the responsible Commonwealth Minister must provide approval before NOPTA can decide whether to release the data.

• This new requirement applies to relevant data that was not publicly available (i.e. not downloadable from NOPIMS) on 28 November 2025.
• Clients are welcome to register requests for data via the NOPIMS ‘Add to basket’ function. We will contact you when requests for data are approved.
• The changes do not apply to well reports and data, survey interpretation reports and data, or any information that was already downloadable from NOPIMS immediately prior to 28 November 2025. This information remains publicly available.

Releasing interpretative disclosable information

Relates to subsections 153(2) and 203(2).

Interpretative disclosable information for wells:

• May be released the day 5 years after the end of the operation to which the information relates.

Seismic, geophysical or geological surveys:

• May be released the later of: the relevant day for the basic information related to the survey, and the day 5 years after the acquisition of the data is completed.

Reprocessed survey data, done in compliance with a condition of a title:

• May be released the later of: the relevant day for the basic information obtained from the reprocessing of the data, and the day 5 years after the reprocessing of the data is completed.

Titleholders are encouraged to:

• become familiar with Parts 8 and 10 of the RMA Regulations
• contact us with any questions, email: data@nopta.gov.au