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NZ gold production highest in past 30 years

10 August 2009 - Gold production in New Zealand hit its highest level in 2008 since modern gold mining recovered three decades ago in the early 1980s.

OceanaGold raises $30m mainly for exploration at NZ mines

10 August 2009 - OceanaGold has successfully raised A$24.2 million (approximately NZ$30.5 million mainly to carry out exploration around its Macraes and Reefton gold mines in New Zealand).

New Zealand coal production up slightly in 2008

30 July 2009 - Coal production in New Zealand in 2008 was 4.9 million tonnes, up 1.5% from the previous year’s output of 4.8 million tonnes.

OMV to drill extra Maari well into M2A sands above Moki reservoir

31 July 2009 - The Maari oil field partners are to go ahead with exploitation of a second oil-bearing zone approximately 50 m above the main Moki formation where development drilling is almost complete.

Comet Ridge plans two deep 1,100 m CSG wells into Paparoa coal measures

31 July 2009 - Comet Ridge, the Brisbane-based coal seam gas explorer, is to begin drilling two deep coal seam gas wells into the Paparoa coal measures near Greymouth.

Pike’s first coal production begins; will fetch US$128 per tonne

30 July 2009 - Pike River Coal’s first coking coal now being mined from its new West Coast underground mine will be sold at a price of US$128 (about NZ$193) per tonne during the mine’s first production year to March 2010.

Change of closing date for the Northland Block Offer

27 July 2009 -The Minister for Energy, Gerry Brownlee, today announced that the closing date for the Northland Block Offer had changed to Wednesday 18 August 2010.

NZ coal seam gas awaits “sweet spot” finds for major progress

26 July 2009 - Major progress in development of the coal seam gas industry in New Zealand awaited the discovery of ‘sweet spots’, petroleum exploration consultant Mac Beggs said in a survey of CSG prospects at an inaugural industry briefing in Christchurch.

L&M Coal Seam Gas plans aggressive drilling programme

24 July 2009 - L&M Coal Seam Gas Ltd, the Christchurch-based private company, has an aggressive appraisal programme underway to define an estimated 1200 petajoules of coal seam gas resources in the North and South islands.

NZ offers considerable coal seam gas potential, says Minister

22 July 2009 - The future is bright for the New Zealand coal seam gas, the Minister of Energy and Resources Gerry Brownlee told an inaugural coal seam gas industry briefing in Christchurch.

Raukumara Basin Offset stacks now available

17 July 2009 - Offset stacks are now available for the Raukumara (RAU07) seismic survey.

Core Stores Amalgamated

30 June 2009 - Crown Minerals have opened a new national core and sample storage facility in Featherston, Wairarapa. Opportunities realised through the relocation of the Petroleum core store in response to capacity constraints at the former Wellington facility have meant that all mineral and coal core stored in regional core stores have now also been amalgamated into this single facility.

Trans-Orient plans shallow and deeper wells into East Coast shales

29 June 2009 - The Canadian-based explorer Trans-Orient Petroleum Ltd says in its third quarter report that it plans a shallow stratigraphic well in its largest East Coast Basin permit this winter in preparation for a later deeper well into the unconventional Waipawa/Whangai shales.

New National Core Store

29 June 2009 - Crown Minerals have now amalgamated the content of all the regional core stores (Paeroa, Dunedin and Christchurch) with the Wellington Petroleum core store into a new national storage facility in Featherston, Wairarapa.

AWE plans two Tui development wells with Kan Tan-IV rig

29 June 2009 - Sydney-based explorer Australian Worldwide Exploration (AWE) is looking at drilling three or possibly four types of exploration plays during its summer exploration in the Taranaki Basin.

Kupe now to begin flowing gas in 4th quarter 2009

27 June 2009 - The Kupe gas and condensate field is now expected to come into production in the fourth quarter of 2009 instead of the third quarter.

Maari drilling last two oil wells

26 June 2009 - OMV, operator of the Maari oilfield, has begun drilling the final two oil production wells at the offshore south Taranaki development, after completing three water injection wells.

Newmont Waihi begins drilling Goldwyn prospect in Coromandel

26 June 2009 - The first of four diamond drill holes has been drilled by Newmont Waihi Gold at the Goldwyn epithermal gold prospect in the Coromandel about 16 km north of Waihi.

Vancouver-based Kent Exploration joins in Reefton gold exploration

26 June 2009 - Vancouver-based exploration company Kent Exploration has joined with another Canadian company, CanAlaska, to take a major interest in a Reefton gold exploration project.

Grey River gold dredge restarts again on north bank

26 June 2009 - The large Grey River alluvial gold dredge, which was extensively refitted in 2008, is now successfully mining gold on the north bank near the town of Blackball.