Jadestone still not over the line in New Zealand
The independent continues to face regulatory hurdles to its acquisition of the Maari project
Singapore-based independent Jadestone Energy’s acquisition of the Maari oil project in New Zealand continues to drag on, more than two years after the initial deal was signed. Jadestone has excluded Maari’s projected 4,500-4,700bl/d average output from its production guidance for this year “pending further clarity on the timing of closing the acquisition”. The independent agreed to buy a 69pc operated stake in the project from the New Zealand subsidiary of Austria’s OMV back in November 2019 for $50mn. “Jadestone and OMV both [remain] committed to the Maari transaction, [and] we are ready to work with the government to expedite the completion of this deal,” the Singapore-based firm says. New
Also in this section
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
3 March 2026
The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in US–Israeli strikes marks the most serious escalation in the region in decades and a bigger potential threat to the oil market than the start of the Russia-Ukraine crisis
2 March 2026
A potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the escalating US-Iran conflict risks disrupting Qatari LNG exports that underpin global gas markets, exposing Asia and other markets to sharp price spikes, cargo shortages and renewed reliance on dirtier fuels






