Story: Oil and gas

Marsden Point oil refinery

Marsden Point oil refinery

This aerial photograph from the 1960s shows the Marsden Point oil refinery being built at Whangārei Heads. Due to New Zealand’s low population density and small market, oil companies originally imported fuels in their finished form. As the economy and demand for oil products grew, it began to make economic sense to build an oil refinery in New Zealand. Sites at Beachlands (south-east Auckland), Gracefield (Wellington), Picton and Matingarahi (Thames) were passed over in favour of Marsden Point, which offered a convenient deep-water harbour not far from the country’s biggest city.

Using this item

GNS Science
Reference: CN396/11
Photograph by Lloyd Homer

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 - The need for oil and gas', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/8909/marsden-point-oil-refinery (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Roger Gregg and Carl Walrond, published 12 Jun 2006