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Exploration Opportunities

New Zealand offers many opportunities for exploration. 

Basins

New Zealand’s petroleum resources comprise a range of basins with known or potential hydrocarbons. These are located onshore and offoffshore, extending to the continental shelf of New Zealand, as well as several deepwater basins within the Exclusive Economic Zone. Known basins include:

  • Taranaki basin
  • Reinga/Northland basin
  • Whanganui, King Country and Waikato basins
  • West Coast Basins
  • Western Southland basins
  • East Coast basin
  • Pegasus basin
  • Canterbury basin
  • Great South basin

A summary overview of New Zealand's basins can be viewed here.

More detailed basin information can be found at the New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals site here.

New Zealand Permit Map

The attached permitting map highlights the areas in New Zealand relating to prospecting, exploration and mining activity.

  • Permitted areas are already taken by existing customers. However, farm-ins may be an option.
  • Areas highlighted in purple are presently reserved by the Crown, thus are not currently available for application. They may be subject to future competitive block offers.
  • Remaining areas of interest should be discussed with Crown Minerals. Non-competitive, Permitting in Time allocations may be available to appropriate areas.

Obtaining technical data

Technical data to further assist investment assessments, can be accessed on the NZ Petroleum and Minerals website.

Additional information and support is also available from GNS Science. 

Regulatory Process

Companies should contact NZ Petroleum and Minerals to discuss areas of interest and will be required to obtain a permit in order to undertaken prospecting, exploration and/or mining of petroleum in New Zealand. A range of Frequently Asked Questions have been developed to assist those looking to explore or mine in New Zealand.