OMV has pulled the plug and stopped its controversial deep-sea drill in the Great South Basin, off the Otago Coast. This is a huge win for the climate and for all of the communities across Aotearoa that have stood up to end deep-sea oil drilling.

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Today OMV announced that it has completed drilling of the exploration well because it has failed to find oil in the Great South Basin. This is great news for our communities and the wildlife along the Otago coast. It also rules out the threat of a new oil project in Aotearoa that would put our climate’s safety in jeopardy. If we are to avoid the worse case scenarios of climate change, we need to keep all new fossil fuels in the ground.

Since OMV announced its plan to explore for oil & gas in the Great South Basin in April last year, it has faced non-stop resistance from communities across Aotearoa. Hundreds of New Zealanders have come together in rallies and weeks of resistance to send a clear message: OMV’s time in Aotearoa is up.

Thank you to each and every one of you who has played a part in this resistance–whether it be by writing a submission, signing a petition, taking to the streets, or scaling OMV’s boat. When we use our collective power as citizens to take on the most powerful corporations in the world, we are unstoppable!

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In Aotearoa we’ve been resisting the oil industry drilling off our coasts for almost a decade. One by one, the oil companies are packing up, tails between their legs, and leaving. OMV is the last remaining international oil giant in New Zealand, and it has long overstayed its welcome.

Our fight isn’t over yet. OMV still has two wells to drill off Taranaki, and 6 remaining offshore exploration permits. But with the loss of this potential project and the growing power of New Zealanders demanding their human right to a safe and healthy planet–we know we’re winning!