Oil and gas developments in New Zealand and southwest Pacific islands in 1981
New Zealand has experienced a strong increase in exploration activity. Offshore license holdings are up to 164,015 km/sup 2/, an increase of 53%. Onshore licences are 20,467 km/sup 2/, an increase of 77%. Four offshore wells were drilled to a total depth of 13,690 m; they were all dry. Onshore drilling amounted to 8548 m and was concentrated around last year's oil discovery of McKee-2A. Onland seismic surveys covered 484 line-km, while marine seismic work amounted to 6561 km. Because of increased re-injection of gas in the Kapuni field, the saleable production slightly went down, but condensate production rose by nearly 50,000 m/sup 3/; 21% more than last year. With the strongly increased output from the offshore Maui field, total gas production for sale was 1286 x 10/sup 6/ m/sup 3/, up 20.2%, while the total production of condensate was 550,101 m/sup 3/, up 31.3%. LPG production rose to 41,179 m/sup 3/, up 50.8%. In Papua New Guinea, the total concession areas increased to 72,600 km/sup 2/. Oil companies recorded 550 km of seismic lines onshore, and 1716 km offshore; aeromagnetic surveys covered 9779 line-km. Outside concession areas, CCOP/SOPAC conducted single-channel seismic surveys in the New Ireland basin between Bougainville and Manus Island, for a total length of 4964 km. Interpretation of these surveys has been completed and prepared for publication. An appraisal well, Barikewa-2, was spudded shortly before year-end; initial reserve estimates for this large anticline had run as high as 10 tcf of gas in place. Drilling depth will be about 2120 m. (JMT)
- Research Organization:
- New Zealand Geological Survey, Lower Hutt
- OSTI ID:
- 6472306
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 66:11
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Oil and gas developments in New Zealand and southwest Pacific Islands in 1984
New Zealand and southwest Pacific islands
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NATURAL GAS FIELDS
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