Some say the eighth conference, due to be held in Auckland next March, should be an outstanding success, while others are wondering if the lack of a conference theme and a different focus signals something not so positive.

"Never before have so many players been involved in this country's energy industry; I am sure the event will be popular," said one commentator.

"There seems to be a different focus, a different agenda than usual, with a lot of sessions on alternative fuels or imported LNG. There almost seems to be an acceptance that something different has to be done in the future," said another.

Past conference themes had been "Confronting the Issues" (1996) and "Basins of Opportunity" (1998), though an apt title for the 2004 event could be "What Next?" he added.

There is a conference session dedicated to future energy alternatives - gas hydrates, hydrogen and LNG - as well as a session on coal seam gas. There is also a paper on the legal aspects of field and asset abandonment.

International Energy Agency deputy director William Ramsay heads the 2004 speakers' list and close to 500 delegates, mostly from around the Asia-Pacific region and North America, are expected to attend the March 7-10 conference.