New oil, gas probe

The Government has given a US company permission to extend its current oil and gas exploration on the North Island's east coast.

It allows Pogo Producing Company to drill more wells, reprocess old seismic data, acquire 2000km of new data and do up to $2 million in additional geological studies.

More than 100,000sq km of new exploration has been awarded to companies over the past two years.

- NZPA