PHOTO: ODT FILESAustrian oil giant OMV has confirmed it will be arriving off Otago's coast this summer to drill a one-off oil and gas exploration well costing around $80 million. The self-propelled COSL Prospector oil rig is at present being used in Taranaki but was confirmed yesterday to be headed to the Great South Basin, just to drill the Tawhaki-1 well, about 146km southeast of Balclutha. While OMV had drilling sign-off from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), one Taranaki prospect and the Tawhaki-1 are yet to gain authority approval. While the EPA will consider OMV's detailed Great South Basin drilling plans without public input, a legislative technical anomaly covering the Exclusive Economic Zone means a public hearing will be held in Dunedin late this month. If that drilling is successful, the permit can be extended out to 2030, but would also require the drilling of two further wells by July 2022.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 05, 2019 16:30 UTC