Bennett – formerly Tap Oil’s New Zealand manager – will remain in Wellington as New Zealand country manager for Westech Energy, the New Zealand subsidiary of Denver-headquartered ECA.

ECA business development vice-president Denny McGowan told PetroleumNews.net that his company anticipated progressing opportunities in its offshore Taranaki and onshore East Coast licences over the next few years.

As well, ECA was looking at opportunities in Australia and perhaps even Asia, McGowan added.

Westech held a diversified exploration portfolio from the late 1990s to early this decade, drilling a total of 27 wells and discovering the small commercial fields of Windsor and Surrey in onshore Taranaki, as well as striking several sub-commercial gas finds, including Kauhauroa, on the East Coast.

Earlier this year, it drilled and later suspended the onshore East Coast well Waitahora-1, in licence PEP 38346, after a six-year break of onshore exploration on the East Coast.

Westech was also a partner, along with Claire Energy, in the unsuccessful 2004 Tawatawa-1 well in licence PEP 38333 operated by Perth-based Tap Oil.

Also earlier this year, it consolidated its New Zealand operations, selling its interests in Windsor, Surrey and a third small onshore Taranaki field, Radnor, to Auckland-headquartered Greymouth Petroleum.

It, however, retained its stake in PEP 38346, plus farmed in to offshore Taranaki licence PEP 38491 where, as operator, it is still planning to drill the Albacore-1 wildcat well when a suitable rig becomes available.

“Clyde’s international exploration experience and work in the New Zealand petroleum sector, both as a country manager and regulator, will be of significant value to ECA's future activities in the region,” concluded McGowan, referring to Bennett’s time with Tap and the government’s Crown Minerals agency before that.

ECA is a private E&P company, with over 5000 producing wells in the continental United States.