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Story: Oil and gas

Kōtuku oilfield

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Kōtuku oilfield

This map of the area around Lake Brunner on the West Coast of the South Island outlines the extent of the impressive Kōtuku oilfield, discovered in 1900. The map shows both oil seeps and gas escapes, and it also indicates boreholes and areas recommended for further boring. Little came of the bores put down. The only New Zealand locality where drilling on seeps has been successful is the small-scale Moturoa oilfield, on the New Plymouth foreshore.

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GNS Science

Reference: Percy Morgan, 'The Geology of the Greymouth Subdivision'. New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin 13 (1911): 146-147

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Roger Gregg and Carl Walrond, Oil and gas – Early petroleum exploration, 1865–1960, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/8917/kotuku-oilfield (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Roger Gregg and Carl Walrond, published 2 March 2009.