International Upstream Forum (IUF) 2023

20 October 2023

On 28–29 September 2023, the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) Branch of the Oil and Gas Division, hosted the 13th annual International Upstream Forum (IUF) in Perth. The IUF consists of international regulators responsible for offshore petroleum, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and emerging offshore renewable industries. It is an opportunity to discuss common challenges and opportunities across the sectors and to create and strengthen relationships. This year’s forum was attended by 19 delegates from the United Kingdom, Norway, USA, Canada, Ghana and Australia.

The IUF was opened by Jonathan Ford, a proud local Noongar man with connections to Whadjak, Ballardong, Wilman and Yuat clans, with a moving Welcome to Country. Jonathan described his family’s long and continuing connection to the land and the offshore waters in the area.

The theme of this year’s IUF centred on the maturing and evolving nature of the offshore petroleum industry. Key topics of discussion related to decommissioning, regulatory reform, CCS, resource management, and the diversification of traditional regulatory roles into broader energy mandates, such as offshore wind. Outcomes included a commitment from all delegates to closer ongoing engagement and sharing of learnings from what are very similar global challenges.

The 2023 IUF was a great success and highly engaging for all who attended. A special thank you to those involved in the event's organisation, especially Janine Neal from NOPTA who went above and beyond to ensure the event ran smoothly over the 2 days.

For further information on the IUF, or to obtain a copy of the presentations, please contact corporate@nopta.gov.au.