Open market competitive process

Petroleum prospecting permits

Petroleum prospecting permits are generally granted as an exclusive permit, with the right to apply for a subsequent petroleum exploration permit over the same area.

The first application received for this type of petroleum prospecting permit (or a new exploration permit) for a particular area, and when publicly notified, starts a 3-month competitive process.

During the 3-month competition period, other parties can apply over all or part of the same area covered by the first application for: 

• extensions of land for an existing petroleum permit 
• an exploration permit, or 
• another prospecting permit (unless they are a speculative prospector). 

These are called competing applications. 

An application for a Speculative Prospecting Permit does not start an open market competitive process. For information on speculative prospecting permits, see the Types of petroleum permits webpage.

Types of Petroleum permits

Guidance on petroleum prospecting permits will be available shortly.

Petroleum exploration permits

If the first application received for a particular area is for a new petroleum exploration permit, that will start the 3-month open market competitive process during which competing applications can be made, as described above.  

The open market competitive process does not apply if an application is made: 

• for a petroleum exploration permit by the holder of a petroleum prospecting permit, or 
• through the Block Offer tender process. 

Block offer exploration permit tender process  

To learn about the subsequent right to apply for a petroleum exploration permit, visit the Types of petroleum permits webpage. 

Types of petroleum permits

Guidance on petroleum exploration permits will be available shortly. 

How to apply

Step 1: Submit an application 

Step 2: Check for completeness and acceptance 

Step 3: Public notification and consultation

Step 4: Evaluation applications

Step 5: Final decisions

Step 1: Submit an application

You can apply for a petroleum permit, using the following methods:

• through our online permitting system, or
• by email using the application form.

We will let you know once we have received your application.

The application form, and guidance to help you complete it, will be available shortly.

Step 2: Check for completeness and acceptance

We will check your application to make sure:

• the application fee has been paid
• all required information specified in the Petroleum Regulations has been provided
• the area applied for is a single, unbroken area
• an acceptable map has been included
• a proposed work programme has been included.

Regulation 17 & 18 of the Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Regulations 2007 — New Zealand Legislation

If your application is complete, we will send you a letter confirming it has been accepted and will be processed. If your application is incomplete, it will not be accepted, and we will write to you to explain why.

Step 3: Public notification and consultation

The first prospecting or exploration permit application accepted is the initial application.

Initial applications

We will publish details of the initial application on our website. This will start the 3-month competitive process.

Details will include:

• the applicant’s name
• a map of the proposed permit area
• the proposed work programme
• open and close dates of the competition period.

Competing applications

During the competitive process, other parties can apply for a permit over the same area as the initial application (as described above). These are known as competing applications. We will also publish details of these on our website.

If an application for a prospecting or exploration permit includes both an area already covered by an initial application and a new area not previously applied for, the new area will trigger a new 3-month competitive process.

Consultation with iwi and hapū

We will consult with iwi and hapū whose rohe includes some or all of the permit area, or who may be directly affected by an application. We consult on both the initial application and any competing applications. If applications are subsequently ranked against each other, we will generally consult again on the top-ranked application.

Iwi and hapū will be provided with:

• details of the application, including a map of the area over which the application has been made
• an outline of the work programme the applicant has proposed.

Consultation will run for 20 working days, with the possibility of a 20-day extension.

We will notify iwi and hapū of the outcome of an application received within their rohe, regardless of whether feedback was provided.

You can read more in the Petroleum Programme, specifically clauses 2.6, 2.7 and 7.2.

Petroleum Programme (Minerals Programme for Petroleum 2025) [PDF 2.4MB]

More information on consultation for iwi and hapū will be available shortly.

Step 4: Evaluating applications

Once the competitive process ends, if the initial application was for an exploration permit, the initial applicant will be given an opportunity to improve their work programme.

Applications will be prioritised for decision in the following order:

1. Extensions of land to mining permits - decided first.
2. Extension of land to exploration permits - decided second.
3. New exploration permits - decided third.
4. Prospecting permits - decided last. If more than one prospecting application is received, they will generally be decided in the order they were received.

How competing exploration permit applications are decided

Competing exploration permits will be ranked against each other based on the information provided in their work programmes.

Step 5: Final decisions

Applications will be decided considering the relevant tests for the type of application in the Act, or petroleum programme. All applications require the consideration of feedback from iwi and hapū if provided, and the decision-maker must have regard to the principals of the Treaty of Waitangi | Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The evaluation of applications may result in a decision not to approve any applications or grant any permit.

If approved, we will notify you that your application has been successful. If your application is not approved, we will also notify you.

Information about decisions will also be published on our website.

How long will it take to make a decision?

While there are no set timeframes for assessing or deciding a permit application as each application brings its own complexities and sensitivities, we have published average processing timeframes.

These apply to complete applications that include all required information. If more information is needed, processing may take longer.

The following timeframes have been set for new petroleum application types:

More information on our timeframes can be found here:

Revised timeframes for permit applications received from 1 July 2025