APPEA presents a variety of awards to individuals and companies for their services to the industry or in anticipation of their contribution to the industry.  All awards are presented at the annual APPEA Conference that takes place between March and May of each year. Submissions and nominations are welcome based on specific criteria provided for each individual award.

For specific questions regarding the Awards presented by APPEA, please click HERE to contact Julie Hood.

Each year, APPEA recognises outstanding safety performance and initiative through the APPEA Safety Awards. There are three categories of APPEA Safety Award:

Safety Performance Award (category A & B)

This award is open to both exploration and production companies. Companies are short listed according to Total Reportable Incident Frequency Rate (TRIFR) performance, and the company showing the largest decrease (as a percentage) in TRIFR since the previous year will be automatically short listed. Short listed companies then submit a safety initiative for judging by at least 3 (three) judges with experience of the industry.

Safety Innovation Award

This award is open to both exploration and production companies. Companies are not be judged on safety performance, but are required to submit a safety initiative, which will be judged by a panel of at least 3 (three) judges with experience of the industry.

Contractor Safety Innovation Award

This award is open only to contractors to the industry. Companies are not judged on safety performance, but are required to submit a safety initiative, which is judged by a panel of at least 3 (three) judges with experience of the industry in accordance with the Safety innovation Award.

Drilling Safety Award (IADC Award) (category C)

This is assessed and administered by the International Association for Drilling Contractors (IADC). Please contact the IADC for details.

Previous winners of the APPEA Safety Awards

To be considered for an APPEA Environment Award, a company must be a full APPEA member.  There are two categories of APPEA Environment Awards:
• Category A: Production companies (Operator companies that conduct substantial production operations during the assessed year).
• Category B: Exploration companies (Operator companies that only conduct exploration activities during the assessed year). 

Click here to access the 2010 Call for Nominations document. 

The 2010 Call for Nominations closes on 26 March 2010


Previous winners of the APPEA Environment Awards

The Reg Sprigg Medal, formerly the APEA Gold Medal, is awarded by the APPEA Board in recognition of an individual's outstanding service in promoting the objectives of the Australian oil and gas exploration and production industry.

The medal was introduced in 1989 and renamed the Reg Sprigg Medal in 1995 to commemorate the outstanding service that Dr Reginald Sprigg AO (1919-1994) provided to the petroleum industry through his own work and as the Founding Chairman of APPEA.

Candidates may be considered eligible for their outstanding service towards promoting the objectives of the industry through highly valued contributions in and to the Australian oil and gas industry or notable and sustained leadership pertaining to the Association. Nominations for the award are required to be seconded by a Director of the APPEA Board.

Click here to access the 2010 Call for Nominations document.  The 2010 Call for nominations close on 15 February 2010. Congratulations to Reg Nelson for winning the 2009 award.  Mr Nelson was presented his award at the 2009 APPEA Conference in Darwin in June.

Previous winners of the Reg Sprigg Medal

• 2009 Reg Nelson
• 2008 Eric Streitberg   
• 2007 No award made                    
• 2006 Barry Jones
• 2005 Agu Kantsler
• 2004 No award made
• 2003 John G Fuller
• 2002 Rick Wilkinson
• 2001 Nicholas Heath
• 2000 Dr Peter Power
• 1999 John Hinkins
• 1998 David McDonald
• 1997 Dennis Benbow
• 1996 Charles Allen
• 1995 John McArdle
• 1994 Keith Orchison
• 1993 Rees Withers
• 1992 John Boynthon
• 1991 Richard Dumbrell
• 1990 Peter Tapper                                                       Reg Nelson receiving the Reg Sprigg Medal from 
• 1989 Allan Prince                                                          APPEA Chairman Eric Streitberg - Tuesday, 2 June 2009

Each year APPEA invites nominations for the award of the Lewis G. Weeks Gold Medal which commemorates the contribution to the Australian petroleum industry of Dr Lewis Weeks, who epitomised the purpose of the medal by his pioneering work in Bass Strait.

To become eligible for consideration for the award, a candidate must have made an outstanding contribution to the art, science and practice of petroleum exploration which in turn has materially encouraged or stimulated the climate for exploring for and producing oil and gas in Australia by either:

• The successful application of exploration techniques.
• The development of improved exploration methods.
• Substantial contributions through teaching or administration.

Past Winners of the Lewis G Weeks Medal

• 2009 No award made
• 2008 No award made 
• 2007 Dr Marita Bradshaw
• 2006 No award made
• 2005 Dr Trevor Powell
• 2004 Dr Peter J Cook
• 2003 Dr Robin Helby
• 2002 Bob Laws
• 2001 Charles Allen
• 2000 Professor Bob Alexander
• 1999 Dr S. Bevan Devine
• 1998 Dr William Stuart
• 1997 Mr Hugh Crocker
• 1996 Professor S. Warren Carey
• 1995 Dr Phillip Playford
• 1994 Mr Roy Hopkins
• 1993 Dr Peter Power
• 1992 Mr John Zehnder
• 1991 No award made
• 1990 No award made
• 1989 No award made
• 1988 Mr Ken Richards
• 1987 Mr Maurice Alan Condon
• 1986 Mr David James McGarry, AM
• 1985 Mr Geoff Donaldson, AO
• 1984 Professor Eric Rudd, AC
• 1983 Mr Doug Traves, OBE
• 1982 Dr Reginald Sprigg, AO

The award is presented annually to honours, Masters or PhD students from an Australian university for the award of a one-off grant to a maximum value of $3000.

The purpose of the fund is to help students aspiring to, or considering, a career in the petroleum exploration and production industry in any discipline directly related to the industry. This could include, but is not restricted to, exploration, safety, engineering, environment, economic or legal areas. Award winners are normally required to present their research at a subsequent APPEA Conference by way of a technical paper or a poster presentation.

Tony Noon worked at APPEA from 1994 - 1998. His principal responsibilities were to the Health Safety & Production and Exploration Committees. His contribution to the industry during his time with APPEA was exceptional. Sadly, Tony Noon passed away in September 1998 following a long battle with leukemia. Subsequently, the APPEA Council approved the establishment of the Tony Noon Memorial Fund.

Funds cannot be used for any purpose other than as set out in the successful application.

• APPEA reserves the right not to award the funds if it deems the applicants are not of a suitable calibre.

Criteria for the award

Applicants must be attending the university in the year of application and must be an Australian resident or citizen.
Applicants must provide details of the funds sought the purpose to which they will be applied, and a statement setting out how the applicant and their career will benefit.
Applicants may seek support for, but necessarily not be limited to:

• travel within or outside Australia
• attend an appropriate conference to present a appear or poster describing their original work in a petroleum-related discipline
• work with relevant companies or academic institutions.

Nominations close for this award on Monday, 29 March 2010.

click here for more information, including criteria for the award

The KA Richards Scholarship was established in 1989 to encourage professional development to the benefit of the industry. The scholarship is tenable for one year for Masters study or for three years full time for a doctoral degree, or for an appropriate length of part-time study, but is non-renewable or extendable.

The Scholarship is available to Australian residents for study in Australia. The Award is for a maximum of $10,000 per year. Funds are available to use for:

• living
• travel
• materials
• laboratory or computer services
• fees

One can hold the scholarship in conjunction with another. The recipient of the award may be invited to deliver a paper at the annual APPEA Conference.

This scholarship was presented to Mr Paul Hoffman, University of Western Australia at the 2009 APPEA Annual General Meeting held in Perth on 14 October 2009.

This scholarship is not available until 2012, details and criteria will be made available then.

The JN Pierce Award for excellence in journalism is named in honour of John Pierce - affectionately known as "JN Pierce". John was a leading Australian resources writer who worked for a variety of national papers.

The J N Pierce award recognises excellence in journalism with respect to the upstream petroleum industry. It is open to all forms of media - print, television, radio and on-line. The selection criteria include excellence of writing style, accuracy of research, ethics, newsworthiness, flair and creativity, and public benefit.

Previous winners of the APPEA JN Pierce Award

Submissions for this award are accepted throughout the year. For more details, please click HERE to contact Kate Walshe.