Pohokura field facts for kids
The Pohokura field is a special place off the coast of New Zealand. It's an important source of natural gas and oil. This field is located about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away from the northern Taranaki coast. The water there is about 30 meters (98 feet) deep.
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What is the Pohokura Field?
This field was found in the year 2000 by a company called Fletcher Challenge. It holds a very large amount of energy. Experts believe it has about 1,227 billion cubic feet (34.7 billion cubic metres) of natural gas. That's a huge amount of energy, equal to 1435 PJ! It also contains about 61 million barrels (9.7 million cubic metres) of oil and a similar liquid called condensate.
How Does the Pohokura Field Work?
The Pohokura field uses nine special wells to bring up the gas and oil. Six of these wells are located offshore, meaning they are out in the ocean. The other three wells are onshore, which means they are on the land.
The Production Station
All the gas and oil collected from these wells goes to a production station. This station is located on the land, right next to the Motunui methanol plant. What's cool is that this production station doesn't have people working there all the time. It's controlled remotely from a control room in New Plymouth.
The Pohokura field started producing gas and oil for sale in September 2006.
Why is Pohokura Important?
In 2009, the Pohokura field was the biggest producer of natural gas in all of New Zealand. It produced 42% of the country's total gas supply! This shows how important it is for providing energy to homes and businesses.
Who Owns the Pohokura Field?
The Pohokura field is owned by two companies. Most of it, 74%, belongs to a company called OMV. The remaining 26% is owned by Todd Energy. OMV is also the company that manages and operates the field every day.
