Government opens consultation for Block Offer 2016

Block Offer 2016 consultation closed on Friday, 30 October. The block offer will be announced on 21 March, 2016.

The proposal includes one onshore and four offshore areas, with a total acreage of 537,632 square kilometres.

The proposal includes:

• Onshore Taranaki Basin (1,185 square kilometres)
• Offshore Pegasus and East Coast Basins (68,661 square kilometres)
• Offshore Northland-Reinga Basins (186,181 square kilometres)
• Offshore Taranaki Basin (72,973 square kilometres)
• Offshore Great-South and Canterbury Basins (208,632 square kilometres)

The government will consult with affected iwi, hapū and local authorities from 3 September to 30 October.

Stakeholders can comment on the Block Offer release area, request we remove areas from the Block Offer, or that we put conditions on activities within an area to recognise its importance.

Once consultation is complete, the Block Offer tender for petroleum exploration permits will be announced on 21 March, 2016.