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2007
Mitsui E&P New Zealand takes stake in three more Taranaki permits
12 January 2007 - The large Japanese-based resource company Mitsui has expanded its interests in petroleum exploration in New Zealand through taking a 25% interest in three offshore Taranaki permits held by Houston-based explorer Pogo Producing Company.
AWE may drill Tieke-1 sidetrack; first Tui production oil well spudded
12 January 2007 - Australian Worldwide Exploration Ltd (AWE), operator of Tui area project in PMP 38158, reports that the joint venture is considering drilling a sidetrack to unsuccessful exploration well Tieke-1.
Solid Energy to make commercial decision on Waikato coal seam gas
12 January 2007 - Solid Energy expects to make decision by the middle of next year on commercial production of coal seam gas from deep Waikato coalfields seams north of Huntly.
Cheal-B4 finds oil bearing sands in extension of new onshore oil field
2 February 2007 - Austral Pacific Energy Ltd says its fourth production well in the B section of its Cheal oil field has found existence of hydrocarbons outside currently defined limits in a separate fault terrace to the north-west of the field.
OceanaGold to ship first Reefton gold concentrate in February
2 February 2007 - Dry-commissioning of OceanaGold's Globe Progress process plant at Reefton on the West Coast of the South Island started during the last week of December 2006.
Maari FPSO vessel Raroa begins conversion in Singaporean shipyard
2 February 2007 - Conversion of a large oil tanker into the FPSO vessel to service the Maari offshore Taranaki oil field for operator OMV New Zealand has begun in a Singapore shipyard.
First subsea trees installed on three Tui production wells
2 February 2007 - The first subsea wellhead trees to be installed in New Zealand offshore oil fields have been put in place in three of the four Tui oil field production wells in offshore Taranaki.
Glass Earth begins large airborne geophysics campaign over Otago
5 February 2007 - Glass Earth Limited has begun the largest airborne geophysical campaign yet undertaken in New Zealand over the Otago mesothermal gold region in the South Island
Frasers underground gold mine at Macraes intercepts ore body
5 February 2007 - The Frasers underground mine development at the Macraes gold mine in east Otago has intercepted the gold ore body, OceanaGold says in its report for the quarter ended December 2006.
L&M plans to drill up to six Southland wells in 2007
12 February 2007 - Christchurch-based petroleum explorer L&M Petroleum Ltd, listed last month on the New Zealand and Australian stock exchange, is planning to drill as many as six wells this year in the Western Southland Basin at the south of the South Island.
Large two-ship seismic survey programme begins
12 February 2007 - Two seismic vessels are collecting approximately 10,000 km of seismic data in New Zealand waters over the summer season in a multi-permit programme.
Notice of area unavailable for priority in time permit applications - Offshore Southern East Coast
19 February 2007 - From Monday 19 February 2007 an area of offshore Southern East Coast identified in the attached map is closed to Priority in Time petroleum permit applications until further notice.
Ophir Gold adds Red Hills permit to Central Otago reef prospect
20 February 2007 - Dunedin-based Ophir Gold Ltd which last year took over the Ophir gold reefs project in Central Otago has been awarded a prospecting permit over the Red Hills northeast of Milford Sound on the West Coast of the South Island.
Eastern locates good quality coking coal in Buller prospect
20 February 2007 - Exploration drilling by Queensland-based coal company Eastern Corporation in its coal exploration permit at Whareatea West in the Buller coal field near Westport has located good quality coking coal and an unexplored near-surface seam.
Pogo to drill Kanuku prospect off Taranaki with Ocean Patriot rig
26 February 2007 - Houston-based Pogo Producing Company expects to spud its first exploratory well in offshore New Zealand waters by August this year, the company says in its December quarter report.
Maari development 28% complete and on target
26 February 2007 - The Maari oil field project in offshore Taranaki is now 28% complete, one of the partners in the field Horizon Oil says in a recent report.
Austral Pacific's Ratanui-1 well dry
26 February 2007 - Wellington-based Austral Pacific Energy Ltd has announced the Ratanui-1 exploration well in its onshore Taranaki PEP 38741 has been plugged and abandoned after finding no economic hydrocarbons.
More gold ore from Favona underground than Martha pit
28 February 2007 - Gold ore production from the underground Favona gold mine being developed by Newmont Mining Corporation at Waihi overtook output of ore from the Martha open pit mine in the December quarter of 2006.
Newmont enters joint venture to explore Glass Earth's Hauraki permits
28 February 2007 - US-based Newmont Mining Corporation has entered a joint venture agreement to explore all of Wellington-based gold explorer Glass Earth's permits in the Hauraki region around Waihi
OceanaGold exploring for new Macraes underground deposits
1 March 2007 - Exploration in 2007 at the Macraes goldfield in Otago will focus on discovery of more underground ore bodies, OceanaGold says in its report for the 2006 year.
First Tui area horizontal oil production well completed for AWE
2 March 2007 - Tui area oil field operator Australian Worldwide Exploration Ltd (AWE) reports that it has successfully completed the first of its four horizontal production wells Tui-2H.
Swift Energy plans to spend US$35-40m in 2007 NZ programme
2 March 2007 - Houston-based Swift Energy Company has budgeted to spend approximately US$35-40 million on capital expenditure in New Zealand in 2007, the company says in its report for the December quarter of 2006.
Scientific tests identify presence of oil in Great South Basin
12 March 2007 - The Ministry of Economic Development today announced that recent testing undertaken in advance of tendering of exploration permits in the Great South Basin had identified the presence of natural oil seeps.
First construction work begins on Kupe gas site
14 March 2007 - Work has begun on preparing the Kupe gas project's onshore production station near Hawera and nearshore pipeline approach, operator Origin Energy Resources (Kupe) Ltd reports.
Westech to redrill East Coast Kauhauroa gas discovery structure
14 March 2007 - Denver-based Westech Energy is to begin drilling the first well in a multi-well programme near the onshore East Coast Basin 1998 gas discovery Kauhauroa-1 near Wairoa.
Solid Energy awarded further West Southland coal exploration permit
16 March 2007 - Solid Energy has been awarded a coal exploration permit in a greenfields area of Western Southland near the town of Tuatapere.
Pike River Coal project's tunneling rate rises
27 March 2007 - The Pike River Coal Ltd's project access tunnel towards the Brunner coal seam is now making faster progress, parent company New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd says in its half year report to December 31, 2006.
Glass Earth plans to joint venture with GCO in central volcanic region
27 March 2007 - Wellington-based gold exploration company Glass Earth Ltd, says it plans to enter a joint venture with Houston-based GCO Minerals Company for three exploration permits in the central volcanic region of the North Island.
OceanaGold awarded two Otago and two West Coast permits
27 March 2007 - Gold miner OceanaGold (New Zealand) Ltd has recently been awarded four new exploration permits — two at Macraes in eastern Otago and two near Reefton on the West Coast.
Golden Fern awarded Blackball permit
7 March 2007 - Golden Fern Resources Ltd, the New Zealand gold exploration subsidiary of Canadian-based CanAlaska Ventures Ltd, has been awarded a gold and silver exploration permit north of Greymouth on the West Coast of the South Island.
Glass Earth encouraged by Taupo volcanic zone exploration
30 March 2007 - Gold exploration company Glass Earth Ltd reports that results have been very encouraging from its Tahunaatara infill resistivity and soil geochemical surveys in its Taupo volcanic zone permit to be explored.
Austral awarded sourthernmost offshore Taranaki Basin permit
30 March 2007 - Wellington-based Austral Pacific Energy Ltd has been awarded the sourthern Taranaki Basin.
Contact Energy to buy Rockgas LPG business
30 March 2007 - Wellington-based Contact Energy has announced it will purchase the Rockgas LPG business from Origin Energy for approximately $156 million.
TAG finds gas at Mangimingi-1 but abandoning well
30 March 2007 - Independant Canadian oil and gas company TAG Oil Ltd says that the Mangamingi-1 exploration well in PEP 38758 in central inland Taranaki has flared gas but is deemed to be uneconomic.
Solid Energy begins drilling programme in Eastern Southland
4 April 2007 - Solid Energy says it has begun a six-month exploratory drilling programme in Eastern Southland to further define its coal resource in the area.
Solid Energy's output up 7% in half year with strong NZ sales
4 April 2007 - New Zealand's largest coal miner Solid Energy raised coal production by 7.3% to 2.34 million tonnes in the half year to December 2006 from 2.18 million tonnes in the same period of 2005.
Tui-3H oil production well nears completion
10 April 2007 - The second production well in the Tui oil field in offshore Taranaki is close to completion, operator AWE Ltd reports.
L&M contracts rig for three Southland wells.
10 April 2007 - L&M Petroleum Ltd has secured a rig to drill three onshore Western Southland Basin wells over next two months.
NZOG plans four exploration targets on top of oil, gas projects
10 April 2007 - Wellington-based New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd is currently planning four petroleum exploration targets on top of its involvement in the two offshore oil and gas projects Tui and Kupe.
Solid Energy granted coal gas permit in inland Taranaki
11 April 2007 - Coal producer Solid Energy has been granted a petroleum exploration permit for an area it considers prospective for coal seam gas in inland Taranaki-King Country.
Genesis gas-fired e3p power plant begins generating electricity
13 April 2007 - Genesis Energy's new gas-fired e3p generation plant at its Huntly power station south of Auckland has begun producing electricity as part of its commissioning.
Contact pays 28% more for gas in latest half year
13 April 2007 - Contact Energy says that average natural gas prices it pays have risen 28% in a year, the company says in its latest report for the six months to 31 December 2005.
Eastern identifies 26m tonne coal resource near Westport
18 April 2007 - Queensland-based coal mining company Eastern Corporation Ltd says drilling has identified an initial resource of over 25 million tonnes of coking and thermal coal in its Whareatea West permit near Westport on the west coast of the South Island.
Eastern and Fonterra sign contract for Clandeboye coal supply
18 April 2007 - Queensland-based Eastern Corporation has won a major coal supply contract for its recently acquired Takitimu coal mine near Ohai in Western Southland.
Auzex drills Kirwan tungsten deposit near Reefton
18 April 2007 - The Australian and New Zealand mineral explorer Auzex Resources says it plans to begin drilling in April its Kirwans tungsten prospect on the West Coast of the South Island.
Austral plans two more Cheal production wells
9 May 2007 - Wellington-based petroleum explorer Austral Pacific Energy Ltd plans to drill two additional production wells at its Cheal oil field in onshore Taranaki from June as soon as its newly constructed production station is commissioned.
Tui oil field’s FPSO vessel Umaroa takes up station
9 May 2007 - The Tui oil field’s floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel Umaroa has arrived at the field where it will play a key role in controlling oil production from the offshore Taranaki field.
Maari project 40% complete but further rig delay
9 May 2007 - The Maari oil project in offshore South Taranaki has progressed to 40% complete but the arrival of the jack-up rig to drill the production wells has been delayed a further three months, one of the Maari partners Horizon Oil says.
Canadian-listed Underworld Resources seeks gold, base metals
9 May 2007 - A new New Zealand-based mineral exploration company Underworld Resources, recently listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, is exploring for massive sulphides minerals near East Cape in the North Island and for gold in Central Otago in the South Island.
Neptune to begin offshore Kermadec minerals exploration
9 May 2007 - Neptune Minerals plc, an international explorer for gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc in massive sulphide deposits found on underwater seamounts, plans to start work this month on a second round of exploration in licence areas in northern New Zealand offshore waters.
Solid Energy to explore for coal west of Hamilton
14 May 2007 - Solid Energy has been awarded a coal exploration permit about 15 kilometres west of Hamilton in the Whatawhata coalfield.
Swift Energy granted second offshore permit, quarter output down
14 May 2007 - Swift Energy New Zealand has been granted its second offshore south Taranaki exploration permit to the southeast of the Kupe gas condensate field.
AWE plans extra exploration well and adds two more permits
14 May 2007 - Sydney-based E&P oil company Australian Worldwide Exploration plans to increase its strong involvement in offshore Taranaki oil exploration by drilling an additional exploration well Kopuwai-1 while adding two new permits to its extensive acreage.
Genesis granted permit for offshore north Taranaki
14 May 2007 - Electricity producer Genesis Power has made it first step on its own into offshore exploration with the granting of a permit to the company over the Mangatoa area in nearshore North Taranaki.
Newmont flies aerial surveys over Waihi area
14 May 2007 - Newmont Waihi Gold is undertaking nearly 2000 square kilometres of both magnetic and electromagnetic aerial surveys in the southern Coromandel area, the company’s website newsletter Newmont Update reports.
Newmont refurbishes Waihi gold plant
14 May 2007 - Newmont Update reports that Newmont’s gold processing plant near Waihi has completed major refurbishments as the company switches to use of ore from the new underground Favona mine as output of ore from the Martha open pit mine winds down.
New Tasman Goldfields company exploring in Otago and Southland
14 May 2007 - A new gold exploration company, Tasman Goldfields Ltd, plans to list on the Australian Stock Exchange later this year and seek A$8 million in new funds. The company holds a number of permits in Otago and Southland
Latest round of Government petroleum seismic surveys to begin
17 May 2007 - Crown Minerals today announced the start of the government's third seismic petroleum data survey. 2,200 km of 2D seismic data will be acquired north of the Raukumara Peninsula, off the East Coast of the North Island, and a further 300 km will be acquired off the southern Wairarapa Coast.
OceanaGold ships first gold concentrate from Reefton mine
23 May 2007 - The first shipment of gold ore concentrate from the Globe Progress open cut mine at Reefton has been transported to OceanaGold’s treatment facilities at its Macraes mine in east Otago.
OceanaGold continues Reefton drilling
23 May 2007 - OceanaGolds March quarter report says a programme of infill and extensional diamond drilling that commenced in third quarter of 2006 at the General Gordon and Empress deposits near the Globe-Progress mine was completed during the March quarter. The drilling further confirmed distribution of gold grades within the open pit designs.
Pike River Coal access tunneling rates improve
23 May 2007 - The Pike River Coal project’s rate of advance through its access tunnel to its West Coast coking coal mine has improved, parent company New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd says in its first quarter report.
Personnel changes at Pike River Coal
23 May 2007 - On 1 April 2007, Gordon Ward was appointed as managing director of Pike River Coal with the company team presently comprising 21 full time employees.
Swift Energy reviews NZ operations alternatives
25 May 2007 - Houston-based Swift Energy Company has announced it plans to begin a review of strategic alternatives for its New Zealand operating unit, Swift Energy New Zealand Ltd.
Kupe pipeline welding base for Port of Marlborough
25 May 2007 - The Kupe gas project is to set up a spoolbase at the Port of Marlborough to weld together 10km lengths of its main 30km long gas pipeline for later laying on the seafloor from the platform to the South Taranaki coast.
Additional 58bcf of gas firmed from Maui reserves
25 May 2007 - The Maui gas field in offshore Taranaki has proved up a further 60.8 petajoules (or 58 billion cubic feet) of gas to firm contracted commitments to downstream gas buyers.
L&M to drill Dean-1 gas prospect in current 4-well Southland campaign
29 May 2007 - Wellington-based explorer L&M Petroleum Ltd has announced plans to drill the Dean-1 gas prospect as part of its current multi-well drilling campaign in the little explored Western Southland Basin.
Greymouth acquires Westech’s Taranaki mining permits
30 May 2007 - Auckland-based Greymouth Petroleum has announced it has bought out Denver-based Westech Energy New Zealand’s interests in three small onshore mining permits in central Taranaki.
Solid Energy enters biodiesel market with plans for big expansion
30 May 2007 - Major coal producer Solid Energy has entered the liquid fuels business with acquisition of a biodiesel company and plans to greatly expand its production.
Greymouth Petroleum discovers oil and gas in historic oil field
30 May 2007 - Greymouth Petroleum has discovered oil testing at over 200 barrels a day in recent extended wells into the historic Moturoa oil field under New Plymouth’s harbour.
Northland’s mineral potential remains largely untapped
31 May 2007 - Two studies released today have found that considerable potential exists to expand Northland’s minerals industry and enable the industry to contribute further to the region’s economic development, Associate Energy Minister Harry Duynhoven said.
L&M’s Eastern Bush-1 dry, but shows at Sharpridge Creek-3
12 June 2007 - L&M Petroleum Ltd reports that its first deeper well in this season’s drilling campaign at Eastern Bush-1 in western Southland had been plugged and abandoned.
AWE granted permit for area along west side of Maui field
12 June 2007 - Sydney-based AWE New Zealand Pty Ltd and its other Tui partners have been granted a new petroleum exploration permit south of Tui and adjoining the western side of the Maui field.
Auzex granted further Buller permit; drilling for tungsten
12 June 2007 - The Australian and New Zealand mineral explorer Auzex Resources Ltd has been awarded an exploration permit near Westport on the West Coast of the South Island
OceanaGold begins Macraes underground ore production
12 June 2007 - OceanaGold Ltd’s Frasers underground development at its Macraes project in Otago has begun producing ore as it readies for commissioning by the end of 2007.
Gold output lower in first quarter for OceanaGold
12 June 2007 - OceanaGold’s gold production of 36,255 oz during the first quarter of 2007 was lower than the 53,188 oz output from the corresponding 2006, but was in line with the 2007 operating plan, the company says in its first quarter report.
OceanaGold to form new Canadian holding co. New Oceana
12 June 2007 - OceanaGold Ltd has announced it is to form a new Canadian holding company, OceanaGold Corporation (“New Oceana”) as part of seeking listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Amendments to Crown Minerals Regulations...
15 June 2007 - Amendments to the Crown Minerals (Petroleum Fees) Regulations 2006, Crown Minerals (Minerals Fees) Regulations and Enactment of the Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Regulations 2007.
Spring Creek Mining Company joint venture gears up to lift coal output
27 June 2007 - The Spring Creek Mining Company joint venture has been approved by the Overseas Investment Office with Cargill Coal taking a 49% investment in the mine.
Greymouth acquires controlling interest in Bridge Petroleum
27 June 2007 - Auckland-based Greymouth Petroleum said it has acquired more than 90% of the shares of fellow onshore Taranaki exploration company Bridge Petroleum Ltd.
Swift Energy engages advisor for possible sale of NZ assets
27 June 2007 - Houston-based Swift Energy Company has announced it has retained global oil industry mergers and acquisitions specialist Scotia Waterous (USA) Inc as an advisor for the potential sale of some or all of its New Zealand assets owned and operated by Swift Energy New Zealand Ltd.
Eastern stripping at Takitimu mine in Southland
2 July 2007 - Eastern Corporation is stripping overburden from its Takitimu coal mine near Nightcaps in Western Southland, prior to beginning a new contract to supply sub-bituminous coal to the Fonterra Clandeboye plant in South Canterbury. The mine is the former Mossbank coal mine, located within mining licence ML 37 079.
Newmont gold drill results from west Waihi, more drilling ahead
2 July 2007 - The US-based, Newmont gold company, has reported modest gold mineralised intercepts from three exploration holes drilled in the Waihi West exploration permit 40 767, joint venture partner Glass Earth says.
Great South Basin oil and gas quest set to begin
11 July 2007 - The economies of Southland and Otago are to get a major boost from oil and gas exploration, as international investors prepare to spend more than a billion dollars exploring the vast Great South Basin over the next five years, according to Associate Energy Minister Harry Duynhoven.
Notice of area unavailable for Priority in Time (PIT) permit applications - Offshore Southern East Coast
11 July 2007 - From Wednesday 11 July 2007 an area of offshore Southern East Coast (Great South Basin) identified in the attached map is closed to Priority in Time petroleum permit applications until further notice.
Gas2Grid farms in to Green Gate’s Kate-1 onshore Canterbury well
16 July 2007 - Sydney-based company Gas2Grid Ltd says it has entered into an agreement with private New Zealand oil and gas explorer, Green Gate Ltd, to help fund the onshore Kate-1 well in an anticline oil prospect 50 kilometres north of Christchurch near Amberley in North Canterbury.
Westech to test flow Waitahora-1 East Coast well
16 July 2007 - Denver-based Westech Energy has successfully drilled the Waitahora-1 well in the onshore East Coast Basin and is to begin a test flow at the well in mid-July.
Notice of area unavailable for Priority in Time (PIT) permit applications - Onshore Canterbury.
25 July 2007 - From Wednesday 25 July 2007 an area of onshore Canterbury identified in the attached map is closed to Priority in Time petroleum permit applications until further notice
Greymouth Petroleum joins Great South Basin quest
26 July 2007 - Greymouth Petroleum is to join the hunt for oil and gas in the challenging Great South Basin, Associate Energy Minister Harry Duynhoven said today.
Pogo to be sold to fellow US independent Plains Exploration
27 July 2007 - Independent US oil firm, Pogo Producing Company, which holds over 25,700 square kilometres of exploration permits in New Zealand, is to be taken over by a fellow Houston-based independent, Plains Exploration & Production (PXP), in a US$3.6 billion deal.
Reefton goldfield’s Globe Progress mine officially opened
31 July 2007 - Hardrock gold mining operations on the Reefton goldfield, on the South Island’s West Coast, are now back in business after 56 years with the official opening of OceanaGold Corporation’s Globe-Progress open cut mine.
Pike River Coal project makes rapid strides
31 July 2007 - Pike River Coal Ltd’s high quality coking coal mine project is making rapid progress with successful capital rising completed, access tunnel almost halfway, and other construction well underway.
Improving regulation of environmental effects in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone
7 August 2007 - The Ministry for the Environment is consulting on proposals to improve regulation of environmental effects in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Takitimu-Longwood Area Mineral Exploration Data and GIS Map Compilation
10 August 2007 - Crown Minerals has compiled into a coherent GIS database all known mineral exploration data from the Takitimu - Longwood area of Southland, New Zealand.
Illegal Mining Prosecution Case
22 August 2007 - An incident of illegal mining of alluvial gold and gravel near the Snowy River north of Ikamatua has led to a successful prosecution under the Crown Minerals Act 1991. Mr John Leckie pleaded guilty to the charges against him and has been sentenced accordingly by the District Court at Greymouth.
Auzex prospect potentially high tons low grade tungsten
4 September 2007 - Early indications from the drilling of mineral explorer Auzex Resources Ltd’s Kirwans tungsten prospect near Reefton showed the prospect has the potential to host a high tonnage low grade tungsten resource, the company says.
Newmont continues NZ exploration
4 September 2007 - Exploration success in the Hauraki goldfield will be critical to the future of Newmont Waihi Gold’s operations at Waihi, the general manager of the company Glen Grindlay told the AusIMM conference in Christchurch.
Skills needed for mining workforce
4 September 2007 - A major challenge for Newmont Waihi Gold was the ability to hold a skilled workforce, general manager Glen Grindlay told the AusIMM conference in Christchurch. Five years ago the ratio at local hard rock mines was 80:20 skilled to new workers and trainees, but today that ratio was reversed.
Otago survey shows complex schist geology structure
4 September 2007 - Initial results from the recent Otago aerial geophysical survey has revealed some previously unrecognized and unexplored structures in the Otago schist, Glass Earth senior geologist Sean Doyle told the AusIMM conference recently.
Solid Energy looks at partner for next stage of lignite project
4 September 2007 - Solid Energy is likely to seek an international partner for the next pre-feasibility stage of its proposed large lignite processing project in Southland, the company’s chief operating officer Barry Bragg told the AusIMM minerals conference in Christchurch.
Macdonald Investments awarded first coal seam gas mining permit
7 September 2007 - Wellington based coalbed methane company Macdonald Investments Ltd (MIL) has been awarded the first New Zealand mining permit for coal bed methane for an area near Greymouth on the West Coast of the South Island.
