Western Australia Offers Six Areas for Oil, Gas Exploration

Western Australia’s Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) has opened up six different areas across the Midwest, Pilbara and Eucla for exploration, it said in a statement.

DMP Petroleum Executive Director Bill Tinapple said the department’s latest acreage release included a mixture of highly prospective and greenfield areas.

“One release area is located east of Geraldton in the Perth Basin – which is known for oil and gas production and excellent infrastructure,” Tinapple said. An additional two areas are situated off the Pilbara coast within the highly prospective Northern Carnarvon Basin.

The state is also offering an under-explored area south of Exmouth in the Southern Carnarvon Basin, as well as two larger release areas in the Officer Basin.

“In 2012, the Western Australian petroleum sector was valued at a record $24.4 billion, so this is an exciting opportunity to expand on such growth,” Tinapple said.