Oil giant pulls out of Northland

Norwegian oil giant Statoil has pulled the plug on its operations in the Reinga Basin, claiming the probability of finding oil was too low to justify a continued search.

The company broke the news in Kaitaia on October 14 saying the seismic data gathered over the last three years suggested there was little likelihood of making an economic oil or gas discovery.

Statoil was granted two exploration permits for a location about 100km off Northland’s west coast.

The Norwegian company will return the two permits it was awarded in 2013 and 2014, and has told the Government of its decision. The move follows years of intense public pressure by Greenpeace and Northland lobby groups in opposition to oil activities.

Thousands of people have taken part in numerous hikoi and mass public demonstrations, often culminating outside the annual Government-supported petroleum conference in Auckland. Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Kate Simcock

‘‘ Statoil says local opposition didn't contribute to the decision...but that's hard to believe.’’

Kate Simcock

says, ’’Statoil says local opposition didn’t contribute to the decision to ditch west coast plans, but that’s hard to believe.’’

In the wake of the news Greenpeace NZ is now calling for a summer of action to drive Statoil and other oil companies out of the country.

Actress Lucy Lawless made international headlines in 2012 when she and six Greenpeace activists scaled the derrick of Shell oil drillship, the Noble Discoverer, in Port Taranaki, and camped up there for more than 70 hours.

She will be part of Greenpeace’s summer of action.

‘‘It’s incomprehensible to me that in 2016, when we’re all well aware of the climate emergency we’re facing, our Government is still selling off our seas and land for climate-destroying drilling and fracking,’’ she says.

Statoil will now shift its New Zealand focus to the four permits it holds off the North Island’s southeast coast.

The oil research vessel PGS Apollo is expected to begin searching for oil north of Farewell Spit within the month.

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