But the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand, which has commissioned an independent report on skills shortages, says it appears to be increasingly difficult to attract top E&P people in New Zealand.
“I know that people are shifting offshore, particularly to Australia, where they can earn perhaps twice as much as they can here,” Pepanz executive officer John Pfahlert told PetroleumNews.net from Wellington.
“This is one of the key issues Pepanz is looking at and is due to report on in the new year – how to sell New Zealand as more than just an attractive lifestyle destination,” Pfahlert said, referring to an independent report of skills shortages commissioned by Pepanz earlier this year.
New Plymouth-headquartered STOS, operator of the offshore Maui and onshore Kapuni gas fields, has been advertising regularly this year for people to fill a variety of positions.
Auckland-headquartered Greymouth – which has recently taken over operating the small onshore Surrey, Windsor and Radnor fields, as well as developing its Moturoa oil field – is also beefing up its operations team in Taranaki.
STOS – jointly owned by Shell New Zealand and Todd Energy – used to have a stable workforce and seldom advertised for staff, except for specific projects. But now, without any major projects on the horizon, the company is advertising for people to fill a variety of positions – from development engineers, to maintenance technicians and librarians.
Greymouth is seeking process, mechanical and electrical engineers.
Methanol manufacturer Methanex is also advertising for permanent staff for its sole surviving Waitara Valley production plant. Its latest advertisement is for a human resources advisor.
This is in addition to the recruitment of more permanent personnel for the Origin Energy-operated Kupe gas-condensate and Australian Worldwide Exploration-operated Tui Area oil developments.
Origin is in the second phase of its worldwide recruitment campaign, intended to attract more than 40 permanent personnel for the company's New Zealand operations.
Australian Worldwide Exploration, having earlier this year manned up for the operations of the FPSO Umuroa, is still advertising for a production engineer and a commercial coordinator for its small New Plymouth office.
Some vacancies may be taken up by staff made redundant by Contact Energy, which is closing its New Plymouth power station permanently after asbestos was found in part of the 30-year-old plant earlier this year.
Contact is planning to build a $NZ140 million ($A120 million) gas-fired peaking plant alongside its Taranaki Combined Cycle power station at Stratford, though that may not be operating until 2009.
