Regulatory Nirvana for Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation

Abstract

Government are challenged to deploy trustworthy regulation to enable profitable and environmentally sustainable unconventional petroleum projects. A key activity under scrutiny during the development of these projects is hydraulic fracture stimulation. Regulatory Nirvana for unconventional projects and conventional projects alike entails • Pragmatic licence tenure• Regulatory certainty and efficiency without taint of capture• Regulators and licensees with trustworthy competence and capacity• Effective stakeholder consultation well-ahead of land access• Public access to details of significant risks and reliable research to backup risk management strategies so the basis for regulation is contestable anytime, everywhere• Timely notice of entry with sufficient operational details to effectively inform stakeholders• Potentially affected people and organisations can object to land access -without support for vexatious objections• Fair and expeditious dispute resolution processes• Fair compensation to affected land-users• Risks are reduced to low or as low as reasonably practicable ALARP while also meeting community expectations for net outcomes