NGC told the NZX today that it would supply 10 North Island Carter Holt Harvey (CHH) sites with about six petajoules of natural gas a year until mid-2010.

NGC chief executive Bryan Crawford said that apart from the volume of gas involved, the contract was significant as it was among the first to include the transport of non-Maui gas under the new open-access arrangements for the onshore Maui pipeline.

NGC last week signed an interconnection agreement with the Maui partners regarding an open access code for all shippers of natural gas, allowing non-Maui gas to be transported on the Taranaki-Huntly Maui pipeline for the first time from next month.

Crawford said the latest contract was also significant in that it covered the period of delivery of NGC's gas entitlements from the Pohokura field, scheduled to come onstream by mid-1996.

"It also demonstrates our confidence in future natural gas supplies in New Zealand and our commitment to providing cost-effective supply to industries in key sectors of the economy," Crawford said.