Oil at heart of data fight

A High Court hearing over seismic data for an area in the potentially oil and gas-rich Great South Basin has moved a step closer.

Hopes are high for vast discoveries in the basin, and bidding for drilling permits is due to start soon for areas south and east of the bottom of the South Island.

The Government and oil giant ExxonMobil are in dispute about seismic data the company obtained from another company for a part of the area covered by the permits.

A pre-hearing conference for the case was held on Tuesday, dealing with such matters as timetabling, but no date had been set for the full hearing, Crown Minerals general manager Adam Feeley said yesterday.

The Government wants the seismic data acquired by ExxonMobil to be available to all interested parties.

"Exxon's claim is essentially that they are under no obligation to provide the data to the Crown," Mr Feeley said. "We don't agree with that."

- NZPA