Wellington, Sept 28 NZPA - A lignite-to-urea fertiliser plant which Government coal miner Solid Energy is considering for Southland would qualify for millions of dollars a year in taxpayer-subsidies of its carbon debt, according to a Wellington think tank.

Wellington, Oct 22 NZPA - A Canadian oil company scheduled to drill exploratory wells next year at two sites north of Gisborne and south of Napier has dampened down speculation over an East Coast Basin oil rush.