Editorial: If Greenpeace is right, and there's an undersea oil well that could spill 40k barrels a day - then finding it would be very good news indeed.

The Environmental Protection Agency is confident of defending their decision to allow off-shore oil drilling in the Taranaki basin, Prime Minister John Key said today.

The offshore protest against Anadarko's deep sea oil exploration will come to an end today as Greenpeace takes the battle to court.

Deep sea exploration oil drilling off the Waikato coast by Texas-based oil company Anadarko began early today.

Deep sea exploration oil drilling off the Waikato coast has been delayed by "technical issues", Texas-based oil company Anadarko says.

It has been announced that Shell will drill for oil and gas in the Great South Basin off the coast of Otago and Southland. Vote now on whether you support deep sea oil drilling in NZ.

The scene is set for a skirmish off the North Island's west coast this morning as protest vessels hold fast to Anadarko oil drilling ship the Noble Bob Douglas.

Official advice that appeared to show the risk of an oil spill off Kaikoura was far greater than first thought is deeply misleading, Environment Minister Amy Adams says.

Labour claims the Government has kept secret the real risk of a major oil spill at Anadarko's proposed Kaikoura drilling site.

The first of 30 Greenpeace activists arrested by Russia in an Arctic protest two months ago has been freed on bail, in a case that has drawn attention both to Russia's ambitions in the region and its hard line against dissent.

Greenpeace has aid the oil drilling ship Noble Bob Douglas and its support vessel breached maritime protocols.

One of the two New Zealand Greenpeace protesters jailed in Russia on hooliganism charges has been told he will be released on bail.

A small boat is refusing to move from the site where Texan oil giant Anadarko intends to drill off the coast of Raglan, as a large drilling ship bears down upon it.

The Auckland Council has approved oil exploration permits off the city's West Coast in a submission to the Government.

A tweet that appeared to suggest Israel had attacked Syria sent US oil prices soaring - until traders realised the post referred to the 40th anniversary of a war.

A report into the oil and gas sector says the "rubber's finally hitting the road" with $2.2 billion about to be spent exploring around New Zealand.

Forecast airline profits around the world have been revised down as a result of the oil price spike stemming from the Syrian crisis.

The Government has kicked off moves towards oil and gas exploration across huge areas of New Zealand and the surrounding oceans by consulting with iwi and local authorities in affected areas.

A Government report shows oil and gold production has slipped sharply, bucking a decade-old trend in which exports from the petroleum and minerals sector have tripled.

New Zealand Oil & Gas says it should have been developing new oil fields by now as reserves at its producing assets dwindle.

NZ Oil & Gas says it's satisfied it "did the right thing" following the disaster at its subsidiary Pike River Coal, as it posts an after-tax profit of $16.7m.

A petrol company says it should not have to pay clean-up costs for decades of petrochemical pollution on prime waterfront land.

More Auckland drivers are calling for help after unsuccessfully trying to squeeze the last kilometre from an empty fuel tank.

Despite modern vehicles being more fuel efficient, drivers still run out of gas and Aucklanders are the worst offenders, the Automobile Association says.