"How does one measure 'best'? Without fail, every one of the previous eight New Zealand petroleum conferences has had some claim to being the best," he said today.

However, the 2004 conference could "justifiably lay claim to have the potential to be the biggest and best yet, by all yardsticks" content of the papers, prestige of the keynote speakers, enthusiasm of the delegates, number of delegates, networking, or great conference location, Gregg said from Wellington.

To date over 300 delegates had registered for the conference, the greatest number at this stage of any conference "run-up". The opening and keynote speeches placed New Zealand firmly in the international energy scene, with a critical assessment of this country's energy situation and the need for more intense exploration and domestic gas and oil production.

Everybody from explorers and producers, to gas transmitters and users, to regulators would be pointing the way forward and looking at what can be done to further encourage petroleum exploration and development. A record numbers of 77 papers were scheduled to be presented.

Gregg said technical reports would consider recent work and technical developments from producing fields in the Taranaki Basin, as well as the promising East Coast, Canterbury and Great South Basins. The developing local LPG and coal seam gas industries would also be thoroughly assessed, as well as future energy alternatives, including LNG.

While the energy demand-gas supply situation would feature strongly at the conference, commercial aspects such as funding, governance, legal, taxation and investment banking matters would also be covered during the March 7-10 event.