Credit: Photo 186004882 © Azman Mohamad | Dreamstime.com
ASG Group has scored a $5.3 million contract with the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources’ National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) for managed development services.
According to the Australian government, NOPTA’s focus is on supporting regulation and management of Australia’s offshore petroleum resources, with the government considering it to be the first point of contact for administration about offshore petroleum leases, licences and authorities.
Under the contract, which was awarded through the Digital Transformation Agency’s Digital Marketplace Panel, the managed services provider will overhaul NOPTA’s National Electronic Approvals Tracking System (NEATS) to enable online submissions.
NEATS, according to the government, contains access to publicly available information about offshore petroleum titles and applications.
Additionally, the Australian subsidiary of Japan-based consulting and IT solutions group Nomura Research Institute (NRI) will also manage and further develop NOPTA’s applications and databases.
The contract has an initial three-year period from 1 June to 30 May 2024, with two one-year extension options.
Within the last year, the Department’s selection for panel suppliers has come under scrutiny, with the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) recommending in August last year to both the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources and the Department of Home Affairs to give greater consideration when selecting suppliers from a panel.
In addition, ANAO flagged that the recommendation should be kept in mind particularly in the case of high value procurements or where there is likely to be a substantial increase in the value of a procurement, to drive value for money.
In response, both Departments agreed to the recommendation.
