New Zealand's oil and gas sector gets to showcase its aspirations next week, with its largest conference in recent years in Auckland.
Protesters, security and police are also expected in abundance.
Considered by National since its first term of government as the cornerstone for economic recovery, oil and gas is the country's fourth-largest exporter, valued at more than $2 billion, and alongside the mineral resource sector, has accounted for more than $4 billion in gross domestic product.
The taxpayer-funded budget for offshore technical data collation has nearly tripled, legislation has been amended to smooth the way for exploration shipping and a new regime for companies to tender for blocks has revived exploration interest.
The Advantage New Zealand Petroleum Summit 2015, at Auckland's SkyCity, is organised by the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association New Zealand (Pepanz) and Freeman Media.
Advantage blends two separate industry and government agency events, the latter being permitting agency New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, plus GNS Science.
With more than 460 registered delegates and several international keynote speakers, it has become a high-security affair, with restricted hotel access, multiple checks and conditions on attendance.
Several environmental groups are understood to be organising protests, beginning with the registration opening and invitation-only seminars tomorrow.
The conference truly gets under way on Monday, with Minister of Energy and Resources Simon Bridges launching the 2015 block offer, new acreage for onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration.
Pepanz estimates the Government gets about $300 million of company tax and $400 million in royalties a year, the sector supports a minimum 7700 direct and indirect full-time jobs around the country and that if exploration was to increase by 50%, royalty income would jump to $12.7 billion.
With the advent of deep-sea exploration drilling and onshore fracking in New Zealand, environmentalists have increasingly targeted industry conferences in recent years, and a large police presence is expected.
The conference is North Island-centric, but the major players, many of whom have tenements or joint venture interests in the South Island, are attending, including Anadarko, Shell, New Zealand Oiland Gas, Schlumberger, Todd Energy, Origin Energy, Greymouth Petroleum, OMV and Tag Oil.
Aside from more than 25 technical presentations on sector updates, including some off Otago and Canterbury's coasts, keynote speakers include chief executive of the Colarado Oil and Gas Association, Tisha Schuller on ''fracking wars'', and John Hughes of Norwood Resource, looking at ''myths surrounding seismic surveys''.
Among several panel discussions is the Environmental Protection Authority's take on analysing the Exclusive Economic Zone it oversees, with one panellist from the Environmental Defence Society.
• Simon Hartley is being assisted to the event by Pepanz.
