NZ oil production in 2008 a few barrels short of record year

And with the largest oil field Maari flowing this month at good rates and the Kupe gas condensate field coming on stream mid year, 2009 seems set for an even bigger oil production year.

The Ministry of Economic Development’s Energy Data information series records that total crude oil, condensate and naphtha from New Zealand fields was 21,298,000 barrels in the year to December 31 2008

This is just 29,000 barrels short of the 21,327,000 record figure set in 1997 when the Maui B oil field was in full production.

The 2008 production of 21,298,000 barrels is 43% higher than in 2007 when production was 14,874,000 barrels.

The Tui oil field was the biggest producer in 2008 at 13.44 million barrels with Pohokura next at 4.58 million barrels. The Maui field is still a substantial liquids producer at 1.85 million barrels.

The only other field contributing more than 200,000 mmbbls a year is Kapuni, the oldest New Zealand gas condensate field which produced 422,000 mmbbls of liquids last year.

Sources: MED Energy Data and Lindsay Clark