The Government says it has set up a high-level commonwealth state working group to urgently review ways to boost the security of oil and gas rigs.

The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association estimates there are about 50 manned offshore oil and gas platforms scattered around Australia. Most rigs are stationed off the north-west coast of Western Australia, Bass Strait and the Timor Sea.

While the Royal Australian Airforce had been conducting regular surveillance operations over oil and gas platforms, ASIO officers are understood to have contacted senior figures in the oil and gas industries since the Bali bombing to discuss ways to further protect facilities.

In any event, the Government says it is the responsibility of the owners and operators of oil and gas rigs to implement "appropriate risk-based security arrangements".

A spokesman for Woodside, which manages the giant North West Shelf gas project, said the company has discussed security issues with the Government, boosted security on offshore rigs and lifted internal security.