The Contact Energy business development manager told EnergyReview.Net that registrations of interest in the proposed LNG feasibility study would close at the end of October - "and I'm expecting huge interest in this project following the initial publicity".
Contact and Genesis Power - now this country's two largest gas users - yesterday announced they had teamed up to investigate the feasibility of developing a multi-million dollar LNG receiving facility for the land of the long white cloud.
Chief executives Steve Barrett (Contact) and Murray Jackson (Genesis) said the joint study was the logical approach to solving this country's potential gas supply shortfall later this decade.
Geoghegan said the companies would want a clear indication from potential bidders of their capability to deliver LNG to New Zealand, the likely landed price and what sites they considered feasible for an LNG regasification plant.
"After due diligence we hope to select a preferred party or parties and engage them for the study," he said.
At present Contact and Genesis planned to oversee this work themselves, but Geogehan added that the expertise of consultants, such as Meritec (formerly Worley), could be called on if needed.
"We expect to hear from major companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil and others, and also lesser known firms."
It is known Shell NZ has already started investigating the feasibility of importing LNG into this country and is studying several receiving sites around the North Island, including New Plymouth, Marsden Pt south of Whangarei, or even utilising the Maui FPSO vessel Whakaaropai once Maui B oil falters later this decade.
Geoghegan denied a major gas strike within the next year or so would make the study redundant. "If there's a significant gas find we believe that will only delay the inevitable and that LNG will be needed at some stage. It's better to do the study now rather than when it's already too late."
Yesterday Barrett and Jackson said it was far from clear if new gas discoveries and more renewable energy would be enough to fill the looming energy gap left by the fast depleting Maui field, which could be all but extinguished by 2007.
