Drilling Kapuni 1 1959

Kāpuni 1 in Taranaki, New Zealand, was the discovery well for New Zealand’s first major natural gas field, found in 1959 by Shell, BP, and Todd (Taranaki Energy), marking the birth of the nation’s petrochemical industry and transforming its energy sector with locally sourced gas and condensate. This significant onshore find led to national energy independence and spurred further Taranaki exploration, including the large Maui field.

This is a look at the drilling and general set-up activities.

9:53                                                                                                                              9/1/26

Credit: Albert Hall