Acreage Release 2021

Bidding is now open for the 2021 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release. The 2021 acreage release comprises 21 areas in Commonwealth waters offshore of Western Australia, Victoria, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands and Tasmania, across six basins:

  • Bonaparte Basin – 3 areas
  • Browse Basin – 1 area
  • Gippsland Basin – 2 areas
  • Northern Carnarvon Basin – 8 areas
  • Otway Basin – 6 areas
  • Sorell Basin – 1 area

All areas will be available for a single round of work program bidding. Bidding closes 3 March 2022.

View the maps, block diagrams and block listings for the 2021 acreage release.

For more information on investing in offshore petroleum exploration, refer to the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.

Information on the petroleum geology of each basin is available on the Geoscience Australia website. These pages provide petroleum geological content that has been compiled from publications related to previous acreage release and from ongoing studies carried out by Geoscience Australia.

Further information