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Crown Minerals return from encouraging global promotional trip

15 June 2009 - A recent Crown Minerals trip to Europe and South America promoting New Zealand's upcoming offshore petroleum exploration blocks offers has been well received.

L&M starts up Earnscleugh alluvial goldmine in central Otago.

12 June 2009 - Private mining and energy company L&M Group has begun work on its Earnscleugh alluvial gold mine project across the Clutha River from Alexandra in Central Otago.

OceanaGold plans big exploration spend in NZ this year

5 June 2009 -OceanaGold plans to make a major step up in exploration for gold in and around its two New Zealand mines this year.

Solid Energy Ohai mine to close at end of June

5 June 2009 - Solid Energy has confirmed it will close the company’s Ohai opencast mine in western Southland at the end of June 2009.

Pike River expects US$120 a tonne coking coal prices

22 May 2009 - Pike River Coal Ltd - soon to begin producing from its West Coast underground mine - expects prices for its premium coking coal to reach over US$120 per tonne for the next year.

OceanaGold finds high grade deeps zone beneath Frasers underground

22 May 2009 - A new zone of high grade gold has been discovered immediately underneath the Panel 2 section of OceanaGold Corporation’s Frasers underground mine in the Macraes goldfield in east Otago.

Kupe production station close to completion

22 May 2009 - The Kupe gas condensate project construction at its onshore south Taranaki production station is nearing completion.

Amendment to the Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Regulations 2007

18 May 2009 - The amendment was notified in the New Zealand Gazette on 14 May 2009 and will come into force on 12 June 2009.

First 900,000 barrels from Maari oil field after third well starts flowing

18 May 2009 - The latest Taranaki offshore oil field at Maari has pumped in excess of 900,000 barrels of oil soon after the start-up of the third of its planned five oil wells.

L&M Petroleum confident about economics of coal seam gas in NZ

18 May 2009 - Geoff Loudon, mining investor and chairman of L&M Petroleum, says in New Zealand L&M sees huge advantages in coal seam gas discovery and commercialisation.

AWE planning for 4-5 wells off Taranaki starting October

18 May 2009 - Sydney-based explorer Australian Worldwide Exploration (AWE) is doing advanced planning for a four to five well drilling campaign in the offshore Taranaki Basin which is due to start in October this year.

Budget 2009:Tax exemption encourages oil and gas exploration

14 May 2009 - Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee and Revenue Minister Peter Dunne have announced positive measures to enhance the development of New Zealand’s natural resources.

Funding boost to encourage oil and gas exploration

8 May 2009 - Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced a renewed seismic survey programme to encourage New Zealand oil and gas exploration.

Solid Energy starts Cypress extension at Stockton mine

4 May 2009 - Solid Energy is about to start preliminary works developing the Cypress extension of Stockton opencast coking coal mine in Buller.

OceanaGold puts Blackwater reef back on exploration agenda

4 May 2009 - Melbourne-based gold miner OceanaGold Corporation has put the historic deep reef Blackwater underground gold mine near Reefton back on its exploration agenda.

Solid Energy to open up Kimihia opencast mine near Huntly East

27 April 2009 - Solid Energy intends to develop an opencast pit adjacent to the Huntly East underground mine over the next 6 to 12 months.

Reinga Basin seismic survey completed – results promising

22 April 2009 - The CGG Veritas seismic vessel MV Pacific Titan has completed a 2D seismic survey to assess the oil and gas potential of the unexplored Reinga Basin. The Reinga Basin lies northwest of the northern tip of the North Island and is geologically contiguous with the oil and gas producing Taranaki Basin.

L&M Coal Seam Gas flows pilot test gas wells at Kaitangata field

20 April 2009 - Christchurch-based private company L&M Coal Seam Gas Ltd has commenced production from its five well pilot drilled in the Kaitangata coal field approximately 50 km south of Dunedin.

New look application forms available

Please note that several new application forms are now available.

First two Maari oil wells flow over 20,000 barrels a day

16 April 2009 - The first two of the planned five development wells in OMV’s Maari oil field off the Taranaki coast are now together flowing naturally at over 20,000 barrels per day. One of the Maari partners Horizon Oil said that the first production well MR3P8 had test flowed without pumping at a rate of over 10,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) through a choke 26% open.