A recent earthquake has brought traces of crude oil to the surface on Stewart Island, strengthening prospects of a significant oil discovery in the nearby Great South Basin offshore area.
Several natural oil seepages have been detected behind the beach at Thule Bay, said Ministry of Economic Development chief petroleum geologist Richard Cook. The ministry had been monitoring the area, where seepages had been detected years earlier, for some time but found no fresh activity until after the magnitude 4.8 quake last month.
Oil seeps to surface after earthquake - 13 Mar 2007 - National News - New Zealand Herald
13-Mar-2007, 04:55
Stewart Island earthquake brings oil to surface. 
