Australia sets 500-metre safety zones around two Cooper Energy wells

NOPSEMA has prohibited all unauthorised vessels from entering or remaining within 500-metre petroleum safety zones around two Cooper Energy (CH) Pty Ltd wells off the Victorian coast, with offenders facing imprisonment on conviction. The prohibitions are set out in notices REGOPS-841858483349928 and REGOPS-841858483350567, published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (Government Notices) of 3 November 2026 under references C2026G00716 and C2026G00717.

Both instruments were made under section 616 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, the Commonwealth statute governing offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage operations. They were signed on 2 November 2026 by Sean Mason, A/g Director – Decommissioning Safety at the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority, acting pursuant to an instrument of delegation dated 16 April 2026, and registered in the gazette the following day.

Two wells, two start dates

The two notices cover separate wells and come into force on different days, both running until revoked by a notice published in the gazette.

• Juliet-1, in licence area VIC/L24, centred on latitude 38° 46’ 14.81" South, longitude 142° 48’ 47.79" East: valid from 27 October 2026 (notice REGOPS-841858483349928, gazette reference C2026G00716).
• Annie-2, in licence area VIC/L37, centred on latitude 38° 41’ 01.50" South, longitude 142° 49’ 29.38" East: valid from 12 November 2026 (notice REGOPS-841858483350567, gazette reference C2026G00717).

In each case the zone extends 500 metres, measured from every point of the outer edge of the well. The coordinates are stated in GDA94.

Who may enter

Access is restricted to two categories of vessel: those under the control of Cooper Energy (CH) Pty Ltd, and vessels operated by authorised persons exercising powers under Division 5 of Part 6.6 of the Act. Any other vessel requires the consent in writing of NOPSEMA before entering or being present in the zone.

The prohibition is directed at the vessel rather than the activity, so the restriction applies to any unauthorised craft in the area, not only to vessels connected with petroleum operations.

Penalties scaled to intent

Where an unauthorised vessel enters or remains in a zone, the owner and the person in command or in charge of the vessel are each guilty of an offence against section 616 of the Act. On conviction the penalties are:

• imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 years where the breach is determined to be intentional;
• not exceeding 12.5 years where the breach is determined to be recklessness;
• not exceeding 10 years where the breach is determined to be negligence;
• not exceeding 5 years where the offence is one of strict liability.

Wider pattern of zone declarations

The two Cooper Energy notices are part of a run of petroleum safety zone declarations published in the same gazette series. On 30 October 2026 the gazette carried notice REGOPS-841858483350791 (reference C2026G00708), signed by Darryl Nottingham, Director – Exploration & Development Safety, imposing an equivalent 500-metre zone around the GB-5 well in licence area VIC/L008865(V), held by GB Energy (VIC) Pty Limited, valid from 5 November 2026.

The effect for operators working these waters is a cluster of overlapping restrictions taking effect across a two-week window in late October and early November 2026, none of which carries a stated expiry date.

For shipping, fishing and other marine users, the practical consequence is that three separate exclusion areas in the same offshore region must be plotted and observed from early November, each enforced by criminal liability that attaches to both the owner and the master or person in charge of the vessel. A breach determined as intentional carries the maximum term of 15 years, and a zone remains in force indefinitely until NOPSEMA publishes its revocation in the gazette.

Source: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Government Notices, 3 November 2026, notices REGOPS-841858483349928 and REGOPS-841858483350567 (official references: C2026G00716, C2026G00717).