Story: West Coast places

Kōtuku oil seep

Kōtuku oil seep

Oil and gas naturally rise to the land’s surface when they can find an escape route. At Kōtuku there appears to be a subterranean fault, which has allowed the oil to escape to the surface, forming one of New Zealand’s largest oil seeps. The area has been prospected and drilled for over a century, without finding commercial quantities of oil.

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Photograph by Simon Nathan

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How to cite this page:

Simon Nathan, 'West Coast places - Grey Valley', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/20996/kotuku-oil-seep (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Simon Nathan