Story: Taranaki region

Drilling for oil, 1957

Oil was first discovered in Taranaki in the 1860s and an oil refinery was built in 1913. The oil exploration shown in this film clip achieved success with the discovery of the Kapuni gas field in South Taranaki in 1959.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
Reference: Pictorial Parade 62. National Film Unit, 1957

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How to cite this page:

Ron Lambert, 'Taranaki region - Energy and ironsands', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/25341/drilling-for-oil-1957 (accessed 28 June 2024)

Story by Ron Lambert, updated 1 Aug 2015