East Coast Petroleum PermitsWhatatutu Community Meeting5 October 2011

Overview

History of petroleum on the East Coast

How does mining happen?

Crown Minerals Programme & Permits

Company profiles

On-shore drilling & fracking

What are the benefits?

What are the costs?

What can we do?

How does mining happen?

1. Government issues a permit2. Land owners provide consent to

access3. Council issues a Resource

Consent

Permit 38348

Expires: 7/11/2011

Area: 1606 SQKM

Location: East Coast Basin

Operation Name: Waitangi Hill

Minerals: Oil, Condensate, LPG, Petroleum, Gas

Te Puia

Tokomaru Bay

Whangara

Tolaga Bay

Te Karaka

Whatatutu

Permit 50940

Expires: 2/4/2014

Area: 274.7 SQKM

Location: East Coast Basin

Operation Name: Onshore Gisborne area

Minerals: Oil, Condensate, LPG, Petroleum, Gas

Whangara

Te Karaka

Manutuke

Muriwai

Company Profiles

Onshore Drilling

FrackingThe technique is used to extract unconventional’ oil and gas – that’s industry speak for sources of hydrocarbons that until recently were too expensive or difficult to extract

The technique has been implicated in serious contamination of water supplies

It has been banned in France, is under investigation in other European states, South Africa and some parts of the US.

Fracking has happened in Taranaki, and has been proposed for other parts of the country, including the East Coast and Canterbury.

The industry is insisting that problems elsewhere were caused by ‘cowboys’, whom our government would not allow to operate here.

Fracking

FrackingThe fracking that has occurred in Taranaki was done without Resource Consents. The Taranaki Regional Council only last month decided that perhaps there had better be a consenting process in future.

Much of the evidence we are seeing indicates that fracking is  dirty, dangerous, and completely at odds with an intelligent 21st century economic or energy strategy.

We want a halt to the practice until we see clear evidence that fracking really is safe, poses no threat to human health; our land, water or level of seismic activity; and that any benefits really could outweigh the costs.

Land AccessGranting of a permit under the Crown Minerals Act 1991 does not give the permit holder an automatic right of access to any land.

Access to land for petroleum: If an access arrangement is sought in respect of petroleum and cannot be obtained then an arbitrator is entitled to determine the access arrangement.

Access to land for non-petroleum: If an access arrangement is sought in respect of non-petroleum minerals and cannot be obtained, there can only be arbitration if the Minister of Energy and the Minister for the Environment promulgate an order in council or if the owner occupier agrees to the appointment of the arbitrator. So for non-petroleum minerals the land owner has a form of “veto”. However there is provision for grounds of “public interest” to override the veto through an order in Council.

Owners of Māori land have an absolute veto right over access.

Fracking Chemicals in NZ

• Xcide 102 – a biocide toxic to humans, animals, fish, birds and ecological systems.

• Inflo-150 – a friction reducer containing methanol and ethylene glycol, both highly toxic, hazardous substances.

• GBW-41L (Hydrogen peroxide) – an animal carcinogen harmful to humans even at low concentrations in vapour form.

These chemical cocktails make up approximately 3% of the frack fluid. Crucially, minute quantities can cause serious health impacts.

Fracking Chemicals in NZ

• Taranaki Regional Council says fracking “occurs in oil and gas reservoirs that are between about 2500 and 4500 metres below the land surface” and therefore pose “very minimal” risk to ground water resources commonly “at 600 metres or above” in the region.

• TAG Oil are fracking near Stratford at 1400-1800 metres. TAG also says the rock fractures up to 1500 feet (460m) in any direction so they are getting much closer to aquifers than the council claims.

• In one case in 2010 (Consent 7591-1), drilling waste was allowed to be discharged just 12 metres from several named streams and property boundaries, 6 metres from other surface water courses, and cows grazed on a paddock where drilling mud had been applied.

Fracking

What are the benefits?

1. Local jobs2. Government royalties3. Landowners lease payments4. Maybe some fuel

What are the costs?• Polluted waterways• Polluted land• Polluted underground aquifers• Polluted air• Toxic waste• Livestock, wildlife death and disease• Harm to human health (cancer, neurological

disease, etc.) • Displaced communities• Huge pressure on scarce fresh water resources• Negative impact on farming and other

industries• Other social, cultural, environmental costs• Possibly create mini-earthquakes

What can we do?• Contact council asking them to place a

ban on fracking until the public can have input on whether or not it should be allowed under the District Plan and independently-reviewed scientific data on the environmental and public health consequences of fracking in New Zealand is available. 

• Lobby MPs to revoke the exploration permits and to repeal or change the Crown Minerals Act.

• Request government and councils uphold the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal WAI796 Petroleum Report.

• Identify and protect wāhi tapu and historic places through the Minerals Programme and District Plans.

What else can we do?• Learn the facts about exploration and let

your community know your concerns via letters to the paper, talkback radio, press releases blogs, public meetings, stalls, leafleting, stickers, t-shirts or billboards.

• LOCK THE GATES! Deny industry access to your land and talk to other landowners and encourage them to revoke/deny access too.

• Declare your community a drill-free zone.

Where can I get more information?

• Website: www.nodrilling.org.nz• Email:

eastcoast@nodrilling.org.nz• Facebook:

• East Coast vs. Apache Corp.• Stop the drilling on our East Coast

LOCK THE GATES!!