Counting the cost of trench warfare in the courtroom

(Image: Getty)

Tue, 08 Oct 2024

Many moons ago, before oil and gas were dirty words in New Zealand, some of the bitterest legal battles were waged in the energy sector. One of the more memorable was between Todd’s energy dynasty and its multinational partners in the Pohokura gasfield, Shell and OMV, which presiding judge Justice Robert Dobson described as “trench warfare” and urged the parties to broker a peace deal rather than embark on an endless round of appeals. It’s easy to look back fondly on those days, given the length of time some co...

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