Government spends up to 20 times more money on wooing oil and gas companies to New Zealand than it does on promoting renewable energy, newly released figures show.

The New Zealand Middle East Business Council says they are monitoring "the potential of opening up of trade with Iran".

While the world is distracted by the Greek saga and China something really important is going on: Iran and oil.

Firefighters have been working to contain a poisonous gas leak at a meatworks near Ngaruawahia this morning - the second at the company in less than a fortnight.

The Commerce Commission has indicated a timeframe on when it expects to make a decision the acquisition.

Genesis Energy, the country's biggest energy retailer, will permanently retire a coal/gas-fired unit at the Huntly Power Station.

Motorists will receive some respite from rising rising petrol prices, as Gull temporarily slashes 10 cents a litre from its pumps.

The boss of a Z Energy rival says its planned acquisition of Caltex operator Chevron NZ could impact competition in the fuel market.

Never mind cutting output to staunch a global glut - the talk so far is mostly about pumping more oil.

The massive rally in Z Energy shares, sparked by the firm's plans to acquire a rival, should raise competition concerns for the Commerce Commission, says a market source.

The sale of Caltex is another example of the exodus of multi-national oil companies from the New Zealand market.

Z Energy shares have soared 21 per cent on news it has bought the Caltex chain of gas stations.

Could Chevron New Zealand's offloading of its NZ Refining shares be a sign of things to come?

A slump in dairy exports weighed on the trade balance last month.

More than six months into the great oil price crash, US growth remains sluggish and cautious US consumers have banked the savings, writes Liam Dann.

There's an Alice-in-Wonderland quality about Royal Dutch Shell's attitude towards the risks involved in its plan to drill for oil in the US Arctic.

Airline share prices fell 1.5 per cent around the world last month as the United States dollar and oil prices rallied, but are still up 23 per cent on a year ago.

Vector has formed a partnership with Tesla to bring its revolutionary home and business batteries to New Zealand.

Thick, black oil washed up on properties as far as Mangatapu last night after a spill in Tauranga Port yesterday - with fears for surrounding wildlife.

It is hard not to be cynical about protests when we are consuming oil here that comes from countries that have no environmental controls whatsoever, writes Sam Judd.

The shale oil boom that pushed US crude production to the highest level in four decades is grinding to a halt.

Oil bobbing around the US$50 mark was the "the elephant in the room" at the Advantage New Zealand Petroleum Summit but veteran oil man Sean P Flanagan says he's seen it all before.

One-time environmental activist turned face of the Colorado oil and gas industry in says the road to winning the public over is a long and "boring" one.

Refiners are poised to make gasoline at a record pace, keeping the US crude glut from overflowing storage.

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to buy BG Group for about 47 billion ($92.4 billion) in cash and shares - the oil and gas industry's biggest deal in at least a decade.

Oil rose after Iran's nuclear accord with world powers left the timing of increased crude supplies from the Opec member uncertain and as Saudi Arabia raised prices for shipments to Asia.

New Zealand's next energy game changer could be the "super resource" of gas hydrates, says Shell New Zealand chairman Rob Jager.

A publicly-owned entity must pay Mobil almost $1m in courts costs for its failed attempt to get the oil company to pay for the clean-up of Auckland's tank farm.