Kupe

The Kupe gas field is located in New Zealand, 30 kilometres off the South Taranaki coast and three kilometres below the sea bed. The gas field's onshore production facility is situated near New Plymouth, at Hawera.

Kupe oil and gas Project Operated by Origin Energy
The Kupe oil and gas project is operated by Origin Energy on behalf of the
joint venture partners which include; Origin Energy Resources (Kupe) Limited (50 percent), Genesis Energy Limited (31 percent), New Zealand Oil and Gas Limited (15 percent) and Mitsui E&P Australia Pty Ltd with four percent.

Kupe Field Produces 50 Percent of New Zealand LPG Needs
The Kupe oil and gas operation is very important to the energy infrastructure in New Zealand as the gas alone that is extracted from the Kupe field accounts for up to 15 percent of the nation's annual gas requirements, and half of the country's LPG needs.

Kupe Field Expected to Last Until 2030
The Kupe oil and gas field is expected to last until 2030, giving it a lifetime of up to 20 years and during that period will provide in the vicinity of 273 petajoules of natural gas, 13.6 million barrels of light crude oil and 1,200 kilotonnes of LPG. The field containing this vast resource is located in an area measuring five kilometres by three kilometres.

Kupe Products Drawn From a Depth of 3,000 Metres Below the Seabed
The gas and oil is drawn from a depth of 3,000 metres below the seabed within the Kupe reservoir. The fluids rise up the three production wells to the surface where it is collectesd on Kupe's offshore platform 30 kilometres out to sea from the South Taranaki coast. Small quantities of chemicals are added to the fluids while on the platform to facilitate the flow and to eliminate corrosion before it is piped along the seabed pipeline to the onshore production station.

Kupe Onshore Production Station Produces Natural gas, Light Crude oil and LPG
Onshore, at the Kupe production station, the fluid is processed to produce LPG, light crude oil and natural gas that comply's with the requirements of New Zealand's national grid specifications. The light crude oil is taken from the production station by truck to be stored at the Omata's tank farm. This storage area is located on the western side of New Plymouth and the crude oil is held here before it is pumped to the port to be loaded onto ocean going tankers for delivery to customers overseas.
The LPG is taken from the Kupe production station by road transport and marketed throughout New Zealand. The natural gas is taken from the production station by gas pipeline to Kapuni. From here it feeds into New Zealand North Island gas transmission infrastructure.

The Kupe oil and gas field consists of a sandstone reservoir that contains both gas and liquid hydrocarbon reserves. The layer of sandstone that averages between 400 and 500 metres in thickness is covered by a layer of impermeable claystone that is 300 metres thick. This claystone cover forms a secure seal that traps the hydrocarbons. Natural gravity within the reservoir ensures the separation of the hydrocarbons from the water. This has resulted in a 200 metre layer of gas lying above a 20 metre layer of crude oil with the water at the bottom.
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