Greenpeace has claimed an environmental success after Austria-based oil and gas company OMV decided to postpone its drilling plans offshore of New Zealand.
Greenpeace said that it hoped that this would mean the end of OMV’s drilling operations in the country.
New Zealand public service broadcaster RNZ reported that OMV had postponed indefinitely the drilling of its Maui-8 exploration well, due to the coronavirus crisis.
OMV had recently completed the drilling of the Toutouwai-1 exploration well, located off Taranaki, and the Maui-8 well was scheduled next.
RNZ reported that OMV would now not go ahead with the Maui well and there were no plans to reschedule the work.
Following the news of OMV’s operations halt, Greenpeace claimed “a win of generational significance that signals an end to offshore oil exploration in New Zealand”.