Australia will help guide the development of international standards for use across the oil and gas sector through collaboration between two of the country’s pre-eminent industry bodies.

Standards Australia has approved a proposal from NERA (National Energy Resources Australia) to establish a new Australian Technical Committee to mirror the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee ISO TC 67. ISO TC 67 is the international standards development committee responsible for materials, equipment and offshore structures for the petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries.

Participating status with ISO TC 67 will provide Australia with a strong voice on the future development of international oil and gas standards. Uptake of international standards will help eliminate technical barriers to trade, and contribute to improved competitiveness and productivity whilst also improving the social and environmental sustainability of the oil and gas industry.

“This industry focused collaboration brings NERA’s vision for achieving a globally competitive, innovative, diverse and sustainable energy resources industry, together with Standards Australia’s commitment to delivering widely recognised and demonstrated value to Australia’s economic efficiency, trade and international competitiveness, and to the community’s expectation of a safe and sustainable Australia,” said NERA CEO Miranda Taylor.

Australian oil and gas industry regulators will participate on the Standards Australia Technical Mirror Committee, along with key industry stakeholders. This will help build a nationally consistent approach to the uptake of these standards across Australia’s regulatory regimes.

Importantly, Australia can become internationally recognised as a leader in ensuring the safety and quality of products and services in the oil and gas industry, facilitating international trade and improving the environment worldwide.

“The development of oil and gas standards will help promote sustainability and innovation and enhance links between stakeholders across the energy resources sector. These are important goals for Standards Australia and NERA alike, making it a logical and strategic collaboration,” said Dr Bronwyn Evans, Standards Australia CEO.

Standards Australia and NERA look forward to progressing this important work to improve the competitiveness and productivity of the Australian energy resources sector.

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About NERA

NERA has been established to maximise the value to the Australian economy by having an energy resources industry that is globally competitive, sustainable, innovative and diverse. Through a national focus, NERA's role is to grow collaboration and innovation to assist the energy resources industry manage cost structures and productivity, direct research to industry needs, deliver the future work skills required and promote fit for purpose regulation. NERA is one of six Growth Centres established by the Australian Government under the Industry Growth Centres Initiative. The Industry Growth Centres initiative is an Australian Government initiative. To learn more visit www.nera.org.au

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About Standards

Australia Standards Australia is Australia’s peak non-government, not-for-profit Standards organisation. We work with stakeholders from across the economy to develop and adopt standards in Australia and facilitate Australian participation in international standards development. The work of SA enhances the nation's economic efficiency, international competitiveness and contributes to community demand for a safe and sustainable environment. To learn more visit www.standards.org.au

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