Oil and gas industry in New Zealand

Storage tanks in Manukau

The oil and gas industry in New Zealand explores and develops oil and gas fields, and produces petroleum products and natural gas.

In 2014, New Zealand's self-sufficiency in oil (mmbls production divided by consumption) was 39%, i.e. the country imports over half its petroleum product needs (though actual imports are higher, as some of the local product is also exported).[1] In 2014, 83.5 petajoules of crude were produced in New Zealand, 225 PJ of petroleum products imported (most of it crude), and 246 PJ consumed. The difference is exported or used for international travel (aviation fuel and similar).[1]

Oil and gas are produced from 21 petroleum licenses / permits, all in the Taranaki basin.[2] The most important fields are Kapuni, Maui, Pohokura and Kupe. Exploration for oil and gas reserves includes the Great South Basin and offshore areas near Canterbury and Gisborne.

New Zealand has one oil refinery, the Marsden Point Oil Refinery. The major industry body is the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand.

There are 2,600 kilometres of high-pressure natural gas transmission pipelines in the North Island.[3] They are owned and operated by Vector, except for the Maui pipeline, which is operated by Vector, but owned by the Maui Mining Companies. Vector also owns most of the low pressure gas pipelines that distribute gas to end users. The largest retailers of gas are Contact Energy and Vector.[4] There is no natural gas transmission in the South Island.[5] New Zealand has one underground gas storage facility, the Ahuroa Gas Storage Facility.

History

In 1865, the Alpha well was drilled near Mikotahi at New Plymouth.[6] This was the first oil well in what is now the Commonwealth and one of the first in the world. A petroleum industry developed at Moturoa, including producing wells and refineries. The last refinery there was closed in 1972. The field continues to produce small quantities of oil.[7]

Oil and gas fields

Proven and probable (P50) reserves, ultimate and remaining, as at 1 January 2015[1]

Producing fields

Field Ultimate oil recoverable
(mmbbls) 		Remaining oil reserves
(mmbbls)		 Ultimate gas recoverable
(PJ)		 Remaining gas reserves
(PJ)
Kapuni 67 1 1,040 48
Kupe 18 10 370 257
Maari 49 23
Mangahewa 12 9 398 280
Maui 174 14 4,560 421
McKee 50 2 234 42
Pohokura 64 29 1,509 930
Tui 43 6
Turangi 9 7 264 213
Others 56 14 410 111
Total 541 115 8,784 2,301

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Energy in New Zealand 2015". MBIE. August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Petroleum Overview". Crown Minerals, Ministry of Economic Development. 26 June 2008.
  3. ↑ Gregg, Roger; Walrond, Carl (13 July 2012). "Oil and gas – The Māui gas field". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "New Zealand gas industry". Contact Energy. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Gas distribution". Contact Energy. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  6. ↑ Lambert, Ron (1995). In Crude State - a History of the Moturoa Oilfield New Plymouth. Methanex New Zealand. ISBN 0-473-03428-X.
  7. ↑ "Moturoa black gold - "the good oil"". Puke Ariki. 19 November 2004. Retrieved 2009-07-25.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, November 28, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.