Block Offer 2017
2 offshore petroleum permits were granted for Block Offer 2017. One of the permits was granted in March 2023 following a court-ordered reconsideration of its bid.
Update 28 March 2023
Greymouth Gas Turangi Limited
After a court-ordered reconsideration of its bid, Greymouth Gas Turangi Limited was granted a 12-year offshore permit in the Taranaki Basin in 2023. The commencement date of the permit is 1 April 2023.
PEP 60403 has an area of 225km2.
Greymouth Gas Turangi Limited is owned by Greymouth Petroleum Mining Group Limited. The Greymouth group of companies has been operating in New Zealand since 2000, and currently operate 6 petroleum mining permits in Taranaki. It was also granted a petroleum exploration permit in Block Offer 2019.
Click on the map to see a larger version of the Greymouth Gas Turangi Ltd permit area.
December 2017
Between 19 September and 25 November 2016, New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, which is part of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, consulted with 177 iwi and hapū groups and 42 local authorities on proposed release areas for the tender.
Following consultation, the Minister of Energy and Resources decided to exclude blocks:
- within 12 nautical miles in the Canterbury-Great South release area;
- within 3 nautical miles in Hawkes Bay up to the southern point of Gisborne, in the Pegasus-East Coast 2 release area;
- within 6 nautical miles in the Gisborne region in the Pegasus-East Coast 1 release area; and
- that cover the Takitimu mountain range in the Southland release area.
Westside New Zealand Limited
Westside New Zealand Limited has been granted one 12-year offshore permit in the Taranaki Basin.
PEP 60402 has an area of 547km2.
Westside New Zealand Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of WestSide Corporation Pty Limited, an oil and gas operator registered in Australia.
It is the operator of the Meridian gas field in Queensland, where over 40 new gas wells have been drilled since 2010.
Westside's ultimate parent company is Landbridge Group Co. Limited, based in China.
Westside has been operating the onshore Rimu and Kauri production assets in southern Taranaki since late last year, when these were acquired from former operator, Origin Energy.
Since acquiring these permits, Westside has stabilised production from the fields and is currently undertaking work to materially increase oil and gas production.
Westside also reports that it has been developing relationships with the local councils, iwi, landholders and other stakeholders within the Taranaki area, and specifically near Hawera.
Click on the map to see a larger version of the Westside NZ Ltd permit area.