However, they found no signs of life nor any indications of recent occupation of the yards near Port Taranaki, apart from a bill of sale, dated August 28, regarding a cement bonding tool.
All they could was seize about $NZ75,000 worth of drill pipe, portable seismic equipment, pumps and other exploration equipment used by GEL when it was operating in New Zealand during the late 1990s and earlier this decade.
EnergyReview.net last month broke the story of the High Court action against GEL for the recovery of outstanding debts, involving possibly several million dollars.
Catherine Dodd, Sheriff of the High Court at New Plymouth, said at the time that Century Drilling and Energy Services Ltd had initiated legal procedures for the recovery of outstanding debts while the Houston-based company was in New Zealand. Bankruptcy proceedings against GEL were also filed by oil services company Schlumberger.
Dodd today confirmed that court officials had visited the Breakwater Rd yards on September 10 and seized the goods. It was likely the goods would be sold to third parties and about $NZ75, 000 raised for Century Drilling.
She declined to comment further, though it is understood there is little more that can be done to recover any more outstanding debts.
It is believed some claims of outstanding debts, said to have been incurred by GEL or associate companies, such as Titan Resources and Pacific Operating Ltd, range from as little as $NZ5000 to over $US1 million.
None of the industry commentators contacted by EnergyReview.Net today had anything good to say about GEL, which had interests in several exploration permits in Taranaki and Wairarapa.
It is known some companies ran security-integrity checks on GEL in the United States, after being approached by the Texas company to be involved in farm-in deals. They ended up so disappointed with the results of the security search that they ensured they had no dealings with GEL while it was in New Zealand.
Last March Canadian-listed company Pacific Tiger Energy formally announced its departure from the New Zealand exploration scene, citing GEL's failure to meet its joint venture operating agreement obligations as one reason for the Singapore-based company's departure.
