The enthusiasm, pro-resource development and pro-business stance of the National-led government is refreshing, says Venture Taranaki.
The Maari and associated Manaia fields are likely to account for half of the country’s oil production over the next few years, plus around half of oil liquids reserves.
After starting production at the end of last year, the Kupe gas and light oil field has an expected life of 15 years and is expected to provide approximately 254 PJ of natural gas, 1.1 million tonnes of LPG and 14.7 million barrels of light crude.
Engineering construction maintenance company Transfield Worley is hunkering down for a positive year after a flat nine months.
Whether its flying energy executives around the East Coast or transporting the son of the late Sir Howard Morrison around Taranaki for a Maori television programme, it’s all in a day’s work for Precision Helicopters.
The energy industry is cushioning Port Taranaki from the shock loss last year of shipping a major portion of the region’s dairy exports.
The Oil & Gas Specialist Technologies group now stretches nationwide and is twice as big and “strong” as when it started in New Plymouth last decade, says chairman Arun Chaudhari.
Fire safety equipment designer and supplier Wormald recently installed its latest and most sophisticated sprinkler system for the country’s biggest dairy giant player – the first in Australasia and sees further opportunities for the energy industry.
Diversification into non-energy related fields – including assisting with the design of a ‘giga yacht’ for a Middle Eastern client – is helping a major engineering group in New Plymouth come through the worldwide recession virtually unscathed.
The winning late last year of two multi-million-dollar contracts for the transportation of light oil and LPG from the offshore Taranaki Kupe field is the latest of many feathers in the cap for New Plymouth’s Hooker Pacific company.
At the end of last year, Clarke Energy supplied and installed a 1063kW cogeneration module at Taranaki Byproducts in Hawera, powered by one of its containerised, gas-fired, 20-cylinder GE Jenbacher engines.
Last year the only people spending significant amounts of money were Government departments but in 2010 there are already signs of economic recovery, according to cable manufacturer Olex.
Its rural setting belies the multinational, multi-million-dollar business housed in a large workshop in the middle of a paddock, just outside the Taranaki town of Inglewood.
Maximising new opportunities
Maari kicks in
Kupe in full production
Spreading the load
Flying high
Port buoyed by energy growth
Technology group expands
Fire control at its best
Winning on diversity
Another Taranaki win
Decentralising generation
They always need cable
Exporting Kiwi know-how