National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority

Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Regulationnopsema.gov.au

NOPSEMA is Australia's Commonwealth statutory regulator for offshore petroleum safety, well integrity, and environmental management in Commonwealth waters, also overseeing greenhouse gas storage and, via the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator, offshore renewables, serving operators, titleholders, and energy developers in those activities.

Company typePublic
Founded2012
HeadquartersPerth, Australia
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority does

NOPSEMA (National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority) is a Commonwealth statutory authority of the Australian Government, established under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 and operating under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013. Headquartered in Perth with a secondary office in Melbourne, NOPSEMA is the sole national regulator for occupational health and safety, structural and well integrity, and environmental management of offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage activities in Commonwealth waters. Its mandate was endorsed as the exclusive environmental regulator for offshore energy under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 from February 2014 and extended to greenhouse gas storage in 2019 and to offshore renewables via the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR) under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021, with OIR operations commencing in June 2022.

NOPSEMA's core technology stack is a regulatory technology platform consisting of an online submission portal (online.nopsema.gov.au), a public consultation hub, a published environment plans database (info.nopsema.gov.au), and a regulatory management system that processes safety cases, environment plans, and well-integrity submissions under the OPGGS(S) Regulations 2024. The agency's service offering is regulatory rather than commercial: it assesses and validates safety cases, assesses environment plans, oversees well integrity and decommissioning, runs inspections and investigations, issues directions and notices through the Gazette, and operates an incident-reporting line. These activities are delivered by subject-matter specialists organised across three functional areas — Regulatory Operations (Environment, Safety, Well Integrity), Strategic Regulation and Improvement, and the OIR — with governance through an advisory board appointed by the responsible Commonwealth minister.

NOPSEMA does not sell products or services in a commercial sense; it is funded by industry levies on the offshore energy sector rather than appropriations, with FOI processing fees set at A$15/hr for search and retrieval, A$20/hr for decision-making after the first five hours free, and 10c per page for document provision. Its customer base comprises offshore petroleum operators and titleholders (exploration, production, decommissioning), offshore energy developers in CCS and renewables, and — as a stakeholder audience — the Australian community and environment groups via the Community and Environment Reference Group (CERG). The agency holds MOUs with domestic regulators (WorkSafe Victoria, WorkSafe WA, AMSA, Parks Australia, ASIC) and international counterparts (Timor-Leste's ANPM), and participates in the International Regulators' Forum (IRF) and chairs the International Offshore Petroleum Environment Regulators (IOPER) forum.

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority firmographics

Firmographics

Name: National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority
Legal name: National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority
Website: https://nopsema.gov.au
Company type: Public
Founded year: 2012
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: NOPSEMA is Australia's Commonwealth statutory regulator for offshore petroleum safety, well integrity, and environmental management in Commonwealth waters, also overseeing greenhouse gas storage and, via the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator, offshore renewables, serving operators, titleholders, and energy developers in those activities.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority industry classification

Industry

Product category: Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Regulation
NAICS: Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)
akta.pro primary industry: Environmental Permitting & Impact Assessment (EIA/NEPA) (BPAIAMAK)
akta.pro secondary industries: Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Environmental, Spill Prevention & Response Compliance (MARPOL, SOPEP/SMPEP, Waste) (TLAHANAI)

Keywords

Offshore safety regulation
Environmental management regulation
Petroleum regulatory authority
Well integrity oversight
Offshore decommissioning regulation

Where National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Perth
HQ country: Australia
HQ region: Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority product offering

Product offering

Core offering

NOPSEMA is Australia's independent Commonwealth statutory authority that regulates offshore petroleum safety, environmental management, and well integrity for petroleum exploration, production, decommissioning, and greenhouse gas storage activities in Commonwealth waters. The authority assesses safety cases and environment plans, conducts inspections and investigations, issues directions and notices, and oversees decommissioning of offshore infrastructure, including offshore renewables through the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR).

Product overview

NOPSEMA is Australia\'s independent statutory regulator for offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage activities in Commonwealth waters. Rather than offering commercial products, NOPSEMA provides regulatory services including safety case assessment and validation, environmental plan assessment, well integrity oversight, inspection programs, investigations, compliance monitoring, enforcement, and decommissioning oversight. The agency operates through three main functional divisions: Regulatory Operations (covering Environment, Safety, and Well Integrity), Strategic Regulation and Improvement, and the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR). Key regulatory tools include an online submission portal, consultation hub, incident reporting system, and the published directions/notices system. NOPSEMA\'s functions are delivered via subject matter specialists across the entire industry lifecycle from exploration through development, production, and eventual decommissioning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Companies that use National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority

Customer profile

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority technology and API

Technology

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and regional.

WorkSafe VictoriacoreOthersMemorandum of Understanding between NOPSEMA and WorkSafe Victoria for cooperation on matters relating to regulated operations, sharing information and aligning regulatory approaches for offshore petroleum safety.
WorkSafe WAcoreOthersMemorandum of Understanding between NOPSEMA and WorkSafe WA for cooperation on occupational health and safety matters, regulatory information sharing, and coordinated enforcement in offshore petroleum operations.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)coreTechnology or IntegrationMOU between AMSA and NOPSEMA for coordinated maritime safety regulation. Extended in March 2024 for further 12 months. New trilateral MOU signed November 2025 including Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR) for integrated oversight of offshore energy activities.
Autoridade Nacional do Petroleo e Minerais (Timor-Leste)strategicOthersInternational MOU for cross-border regulatory cooperation on petroleum regulation between Australia and Timor-Leste, supporting alignment of offshore petroleum oversight in the Timor Sea region.
Parks AustraliacoreOthersMemorandum of Understanding between NOPSEMA and Parks Australia signed June 2025 for coordinated environmental management and protection of marine protected areas adjacent to offshore petroleum operations.
International Regulators' Forum (IRF)strategicOthersGroup of 11 national health and safety regulators in the offshore oil and gas industry. NOPSEMA participates in information sharing and collaboration on joint programs to drive forward health and safety improvements. NOPSEMA hosted the International Regulators Offshore Safety Conference in Perth in 2021.
International Offshore Petroleum Environment Regulators (IOPER)strategicOthersInternational group of national regulators dedicated to raising environmental performance standards within the offshore petroleum exploration and production industry. Cameron Grebe, NOPSEMA's Deputy CEO, serves as Australia's representative and current Chair of IOPER.
Australian Government National Plan Committee (AGNPC)coreOthersCoordination for Australian Government arrangements under the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies, including oil spill preparedness and response coordination.
Marine Pollution Preparedness and Response Technical Groups (MPPRTG)coreOthersTechnical working group for developing operational policy on prevention, preparedness, response and recovery for marine pollution incidents under the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies.
North West Cape Cooperative ForumregionalOthersRegional forum improving effectiveness and efficiency of oil spill preparedness and response in the North West Cape region of Western Australia.
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOPSEMA participates in APPEA Environment Affairs Committee and various working groups for strategic environmental management projects, providing high-level feedback and input with petroleum industry representatives on environmental compliance and regulatory activities.
National Environmental Science Program (NESP)strategicOthersNOPSEMA provides end-user perspectives on research priorities and proposals under the National Environmental Science Program, contributing to marine science research that informs regulatory decision-making.
Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI)strategicOthersWAMSI Effects of Decommissioning Offshore Infrastructure steering committee allows engagement between stakeholders relevant to decommissioning of offshore infrastructure, ensuring projects meet objectives.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)coreOthersMemorandum of Understanding between NOPSEMA and ASIC published May 2023 for information sharing and cooperation on regulatory matters.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA): Norwegian regulator overseeing safety, emergency preparedness and the working environment of petroleum activities on the Norwegian continental shelf. Closely mirrors NOPSEMA's safety-case and well-integrity functions.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM): US federal agency managing development of US offshore renewable and conventional energy resources. Strong peer for NOPSEMA's OIR offshore renewables mandate and environmental assessment functions.
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE): US federal agency responsible for safety and environmental oversight of offshore oil and gas operations on the US Outer Continental Shelf. Closest international peer to NOPSEMA in mandate, structure and offshore scope.
Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED): UK regulator within DESNZ responsible for environmental regulation and decommissioning of offshore oil, gas and CCS operations. Directly comparable mandate; NOPSEMA Advisory Board member Wendy Kennedy is OPRED's former CEO.
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD): Norwegian government agency managing petroleum resources including data, resource regulation and CCS storage permits. Comparable to NOPSEMA on resource management and GHG storage regulatory functions.

Regional players

Alberta Energy Regulator (AER): Single-window regulator for energy development in Alberta covering safety, environmental and resource functions. Comparable single-regulator model applied to upstream energy, though onshore-focused and at subnational level.
Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB): Federal-provincial regulator with safety, environmental and resource management functions for offshore Nova Scotia petroleum activity. Same institutional model as NOPSEMA but covering a different Canadian offshore jurisdiction.
Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB): Joint federal-provincial regulator for offshore petroleum safety, environmental protection and resource management in the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area. Comparable structure and offshore scope in a different geography.

Others

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA): Australian federal maritime safety and environment regulator with an active trilateral MOU with NOPSEMA and the OIR (signed November 2025). Adjacent regulator sharing offshore jurisdiction boundaries rather than directly competing.

Broad incumbents

North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA): UK regulator covering licensing, consents and obligations across oil, gas, CCS and hydrogen storage. Broader UK-wide mandate that overlaps with NOPSEMA's resource management and decommissioning oversight.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority

What does National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority do?

Is National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority a public or private company?

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority founded?

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority based?

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority is headquartered in Perth, Australia, in the Oceania region.

Who are National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) and Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). Regional players are Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) and Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB). Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is listed as an others. North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority have an API?

No public API is recorded for National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.

What industry is National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority in?

National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority's product category is Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Regulation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAK, Environmental Permitting & Impact Assessment (EIA/NEPA), with a secondary code of BPAIAMAI, Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines). Its NAICS code is 924.