Action item 5.4

That prior to the grant of any further exploration approvals, gas companies be required to develop and implement a well integrity management system (WIMS) for each well complying with ISO 16530-1:2017.

That prior to the grant of any further exploration approvals, each well must have an approved well management plan in place that contains, at a minimum, the following elements:

• consideration of well integrity management across the well life cycle;
• a well integrity risk management process that documents how well integrity hazards are identified and risks assessed;
• a well barrier plan containing well barrier performance standards, with specific reference to protection measures for beneficial use aquifers;
• a process for periodically verifying well barrier integrity through the operational life of the well and immediately prior to abandonment, and a system for reporting to the regulator the findings from integrity assessments;
• characterisation data for aquifers, saline water zones, and gas bearing zones in the formations intersected during drilling; and
• monitoring methods to be used to detect migration of methane along the outside of the casing.

Completed.