Late last month Crown Minerals granted Shell, Todd Petroleum Mining and Austrian firm OMV an extension to the original 60 square kilometre licence PEP 38459, which was issued in 1995 and had been due to expire in 2009.

According to Crown Minerals, previous work program commitments not already fulfilled include analysing and incorporating well data from the Pohokura development wells into the subsurface model for the adjacent Okoki structure.

The jack-up Ensco Rig 56 is currently about halfway through the six-well offshore Pohokura development drilling campaign off Motunui in north Taranaki.

The Pohokura gas-condensate field has been flowing since August last year from the three deviated onshore-offshore wells drilled by the Ensign International Rig 41.

Crown Minerals granted the Pohokura mining permit PMP 38154, within PEP 38459, in October 2004. That mining permit is not due to expire until 2036.

The Pohokura partners are operator Shell Exploration NZ (48%), Todd Energy (26%) and OMV (26%).