How the oil and gas industry helped rewrite New Zealand’s drilling rules

Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Fossil fuel companies were given privileged, insider access to confidential drafts of legislation during a two-year campaign to weaken oil and gas regulation and overturn the offshore exploration ban, RNZ has found.

Internal documents show how the sector repeatedly lobbied Resources Minister Shane Jones to dilute New Zealand's clean-up rules for ageing oil fields - rules brought in to protect taxpayers after the 2019 Tui Oil Field collapse left the state burdened with a $300m bill.

Some of the oil executives meeting with Jones had been closely involved in the Tui disaster, but were invited to confidential briefings anyway.

"That shows an extraordinary sense of self entitlement from the oil and gas industry," said Greenpeace executive director Russel Norman. "That these same companies and same individuals are back in the room demanding that a loophole in the law be reopened so that the taxpayer has to pick up the bill once again for their mess - it's really striking."

Jones says the consultation was a normal - and integral - part of the legislative progress, and officials wanted to make sure the law would work. The lobbyists said the same.

Jones engaged closely with industry - including OMV, Todd Energy and Methanex - meeting them frequently, sharing in-house updates on his amendment bill, and signalling progress before the public or even Cabinet had seen the proposals.

Officials also ran closed-door