•      This Act sets up a system for regulating the following activities in offshore areas:

               (a)     exploration for petroleum;

               (b)     recovery of petroleum;

               (c)     construction and operation of petroleum‑related infrastructure facilities;

               (d)     construction and operation of petroleum pipelines.

•      An offshore area:

               (a)     starts 3 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured; and

               (b)     extends seaward to the outer limits of the continental shelf.

•      This Act provides for the grant of the following titles:

               (a)     an exploration permit (see Part 2.2);

               (b)     a retention lease (see Part 2.3);

               (c)     a production licence (see Part 2.4);

               (d)     an infrastructure licence (see Part 2.5);

               (e)     a pipeline licence (see Part 2.6);

               (f)     a special prospecting authority (see Part 2.7);

               (g)     an access authority (see Part 2.8).

•      Generally, the administration of this Act in relation to an offshore area of a State or the Northern Territory is divided between:

               (a)     the Joint Authority for the State or Territory (the Joint Authority is constituted by the responsible State/Territory Minister and the responsible Commonwealth Minister); and

               (b)     the Designated Authority of the State or Territory (the Designated Authority is the responsible State/Territory Minister).

•      The National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority is responsible for the administration of occupational health and safety provisions.