The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG) on September 30, 2026, issued the Petroleum (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The Government has proposed amendments to the Petroleum Act, 1934 to strengthen the legal framework governing offences and penalties. The amendments propose changes to Chapter III on “Penalties and Procedure”, including substitution of Sections 23 and 25, insertion of Sections 23A to 23E, and amendment of Section 24.
The proposed amendments seek to decriminalise regulatory violations, including breaches of licence terms and conditions, and introduce a mechanism for imposing civil penalties through an administrative process, while retaining adequate deterrence for specified offences relating to petroleum operations. Comments and suggestions from the public and industry stakeholders have been invited within 30 days of publication of the notice.
Kindly find the detailed bill attached to the document below.
[Notification No. M-11/13/2026-Distribution-PNG]
