Victorian Consolidated Regulations

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY RESOURCES REGULATIONS 2016 - REG 5

In these Regulations—

"ancillary equipment", in relation to a well, includes—

        (a)     equipment located downhole; and

        (b)     a blow-out preventer; and

        (c)     a well-head;

"environmental legislation" means any of the following that relates to the protection of the environment––

        (a)     an Act;

        (b)     an Act of the Commonwealth;

        (c)     any instrument made or issued under or for the purpose of an Act referred to in paragraph (a) or (b);

Example

A subordinate instrument such as a regulation is an instrument.

"environment management plan "means a plan prepared in accordance with Division 2 of Part 5 and set out in an operation plan under regulation 11;

"facility" means a structure that—

        (a)     is used or constructed for the purpose of extracting geothermal energy resources; or

        (b)     carries, contains or includes equipment for the drilling, modification, maintenance or repair of a well or ancillary equipment;

Map Grid of Australia 1994 (MGA94) has the same meaning as in the Survey Co‑ordination Regulations 2014 ^[2] ;

"practicable", in relation to eliminating or minimising hazards and risks, means practicable having regard to—

        (a)     the severity of the hazard or risk; and

        (b)     the state of knowledge about the hazard or risk; and

        (c)     the availability and suitability of ways to eliminate or minimise that hazard or risk; and

        (d)     the cost of eliminating or minimising that hazard or risk;

"recordable incident" means an incident arising out of a geothermal energy operation (other than a reportable incident) that has an impact on the environment, public safety, land, property or infrastructure;

"reportable incident" means an incident arising out of a geothermal energy operation that—

(a)     causes, or could have caused, substantial damage to the environment, the integrity of the geothermal energy operation, the immediate area of the operation (whether above or below ground), public safety, land, or property; or

        (b)     is indicative of a possible future incident of the kind referred to in paragraph (a); or

        (c)     occurs when an operation has not been carried out in accordance with the operation plan;

"the Act" means the Geothermal Energy Resources Act 2005 ;

"well" means a hole in the sub-soil made by drilling, boring or any other means in connection with a geothermal energy operation, but does not include a seismic shot hole;

"well activity", in relation to a well, means an activity carried out during the life of the well;

"well integrity", in relation to a well, means that any zone in the well bore—

        (a)     is under control, in accordance with an accepted well operation management plan; and

        (b)     is able to contain fluid; and

        (c)     is not the subject of any unforeseen risk;

"well integrity hazard" means an event that—

        (a)     has the potential to compromise the well integrity of a well; and

        (b)     would involve—

              (i)     a significant threat to the safety of individuals; or

              (ii)     a risk of significant damage to the environment or to the geothermal energy resource.