OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST

To: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)

 

This request is made pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982.

 

1. Scope – Offshore Resource Exploration (1960–1980)

I request all information held relating to offshore oil and gas exploration activities in New Zealand between 1 January 1960 and 31 December 1980, including but not limited to:
– Cabinet papers
– Ministerial briefings
– Internal memoranda
– Agreements with domestic or foreign entities

Including records held in physical archives, legacy systems, and any records transferred to or from other agencies.

2. Resource Identification and Assessment

All records relating to the identification, discovery, or economic assessment of oil or gas reserves during this period, including:
– Geological surveys
– Technical assessments
– Economic evaluations

Including (but not limited to) records relating to the Great South Basin and any other identified offshore basins.

3. Agreements and Foreign Involvement

All agreements, communications, or memoranda between the New Zealand Government and foreign governments, corporations, or intermediaries relating to natural resource exploration or extraction between 1960 and 1985.

4. Decision-Making and Oversight

Records documenting how decisions were made to grant, restrict, or transfer rights relating to natural resources, including:
– Policy papers
– Legal advice summaries (where available)
– Risk assessments or public interest considerations.

5. Inter-Agency Coordination

Any memoranda of understanding, coordination records, or joint arrangements between MBIE (or its predecessor agencies) and other domestic or international entities relating to resource management or protection during the same period.

6. Record Status and Handling

Please advise:
– Whether any information within scope has been destroyed
– Whether it has been transferred to Archives New Zealand
– The grounds for any refusal or withholding of information, including the relevant statutory provisions relied upon.

7. Classification or Restrictions (if applicable)

Any records indicating that information relating to resource assessments or agreements was subject to classification, confidentiality provisions, or restricted access beyond standard commercial arrangements.

Administrative

If any part of this request is likely to be refused under section 18(f), I am willing to refine the scope to enable a response.

If any part of this request is more closely connected with the functions of another agency, I request that it be transferred in accordance with section 14 of the Act.

I prefer to receive the information in electronic form where available.