New Zealand's fragmented oversight of the oil and gas industry could result in potential 'fracking' problems slipping through the gaps.

Brazilian oil company Petrobras has handed back exploration licences it holds for deep sea oil and gas prospects off the North Island's East Cape.

The ramifications of an inquiry's findings into Pike River are potentially huge.

A lobby group a believes Kiwis support mineral exploration and mining as an avenue towards economic prosperity, but is concerned public awareness needs a boost.

Shell says the earliest it will consider drilling in the frontier deep water Great South Basin will be the summer of 2014-15.

Miners from the West Coast and Huntly who are set to lose their jobs, will converge on parliament today as the company looks abroad for investors.

Solid Energy has proposed to slash 230 jobs at its Spring Creek mine as it can't afford to keep the operation running.

Miners facing the axe at Solid Energy's Spring Creek and Huntly East operations say a march on Parliament tomorrow is about more than saving their jobs.

Community services buckle under the strain of the mining industry's fly-in, fly-out 'parasites', say observers.