Petroleum and Gas (Safety) and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2022

1Short title

This regulation may be cited as the Petroleum and Gas (Safety) and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2022.

2Regulation amended

This part amends the Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017.

3Amendment of s 100 (Requirements for drilling and abandoning boreholes)

(1)Section 100(1)(a)(i), ‘sections 28 to 30 and 44 to 46’—
omit, insert—

sections 28, 29, 30, 45, 46 and 52A

(2)Section 100(3)(a)(iii), before ‘horizontal’—
insert—

relevant

(3)Section 100(4) and (5), ‘and 44’—
omit, insert—

and 52A

4Regulation amended

This part amends the Petroleum and Gas (General Provisions) Regulation 2017.

5Amendment of s 8 (Authority to prospect—proposed work program)

Section 8, ‘section 48(1)(f)’—
omit, insert—

section 48(2)(d)

6Amendment of s 52 (Confidentiality periods for required information for petroleum tenures)

Section 52(3)(c), ‘petroleum tenure’—
omit, insert—

coal or oil shale mining tenement

7Regulation amended

This part amends the Petroleum and Gas (Safety) Regulation 2018.

8Amendment of s 30 (Additional downhole survey required for horizontal well or petroleum well or bore intersecting coal seam)

Section 30, heading and subsections (1)(a), (3), (4) and (5), before ‘horizontal’—
insert—

relevant

9Omission of s 44 (Steel casing not to be used in horizontal wells)

Section 44—
omit.

10Insertion of new s 52A

After section 52—
insert—

52ASteel casing not to be used in relevant horizontal wells in particular overlapping areas

(1)This section applies if the operating plant is in an overlapping area mentioned in section 705(a)(i) or (iii) of the Act.

(2)The operator of the operating plant must ensure steel casing is not used to drill or complete a relevant horizontal well.

(3)The safety requirement in this section applies subject to section 53.

Note—

Section 53 prescribes additional safety requirements, and provides for alternative safety requirements, for the drilling of particular petroleum wells, bores or voids.

11Amendment of s 53 (Requirements for petroleum wells, bores and voids)

Section 53(7), definition standard safety requirements, ‘section 44, 45 or 46’—
omit, insert—

section 45, 46 or 52A

12Amendment of s 61 (Definitions for part)

(1)Section 61, definition relevant coal or oil shale mining tenement holder, from ‘tenement if’—
omit, insert—

tenement if—

(a)the operating plant is located in the area of the tenement; or

(b)all of the following apply—

(i)the tenement is a coal or oil shale mining lease;

(ii)the application is for an exemption from complying with a relevant requirement other than the requirement under section 52A;

(iii)the operating plant is located adjacent to the area of the tenement.

(2)Section 61, definition relevant requirement, paragraph (a), ‘44, 45, 46’—
omit, insert—

45, 46, 52A

13Amendment of ss 65 and 66

Sections 65(1)(b) and 66(6)(b), ‘exploration’—
omit, insert—

mining

14Amendment of s 166 (Definitions for chapter)

Section 166, ‘chapter’—
omit, insert—

part

15Insertion of new ch 10, pt 3

Chapter 10—
insert—

Part 3 Transitional provision for Petroleum and Gas (Safety) and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2022

176Existing exemptions and applications for exemptions relating to horizontal wells

(1)An exemption from complying with former section 44 for operating plant in effect immediately before the commencement is taken to be an exemption from complying with section 52A for the operating plant.

(2)An application for an exemption from complying with former section 44 for operating plant made but not decided before the commencement—

(a)is taken to be an application for an exemption from complying with section 52A for the operating plant; and

(b)must be decided under this regulation as in force from the commencement.

(3)In this section—

exemption means an exemption under chapter 3, part 4.

former section 44 means section 44 as in force before the commencement.

16Amendment of sch 3 (Coal seam gas potential hazard guide)

Schedule 3, under heading ‘Creation of hazardous zones’, entry for unsealed holes and voids, second column, ‘horizontal well in a coal seam’—
omit, insert—

relevant horizontal well

17Amendment of sch 7 (Dictionary)

(1)Schedule 7, definition horizontal well—
omit.

(2)Schedule 7—
insert—

relevant horizontal well means a petroleum well, any part of which travels in a generally horizontal direction within or adjacent to a coal seam.