Major users Methanex, Contact Energy and NGC again had to cope with gas supply interruptions from the field, the third such occurrence in a week, for almost six hours earlier yesterday.

Without that auxiliary power supply, which was used to restart gas flows on the platform, they could have been facing a much more serious and prolonged gas outage.

The Maui Joint Venture today advised that gas supply was interrupted from 5.15am, but restored at the offshore Taranaki platform at 11.20am, using the auxiliary power supply.