New Zealand petrol now comes almost entirely from overseas refineries, mainly in the Asia–Pacific region, especially Singapore, South Korea, and Japan.

Quick Scoop: Where NZ petrol comes from

  • New Zealand is a net importer of oil and fuel products – we use more than we produce locally.
  • Since Marsden Point stopped refining in 2022, NZ has moved to a near-100% imported refined fuel model (finished petrol and diesel arriving by ship).
  • Most petrol now comes from large refineries in Singapore, South Korea and Japan , shipped directly to New Zealand terminals (Marsden Point/Whangārei for the upper North Island, plus other ports around the country).
  • NZ still produces some high‑quality crude oil from Taranaki fields , but this is mostly exported (often to Australia and Singapore) because Marsden Point was not configured to process it and it fetches a premium price overseas.

A bit of recent story

For almost 60 years, Marsden Point was NZ’s only refinery, processing mainly Middle Eastern crude oil into petrol, diesel and jet fuel for Z, BP and Mobil, and supplying about 70% of the country’s refined fuel. In April 2022 it was converted into an import-only terminal, so instead of bringing in crude oil to refine, New Zealand now brings in refined petrol and other fuels directly from offshore refineries, mostly around Asia.

Today, ships deliver refined fuel to Marsden Point (now an import terminal called Channel Infrastructure) and other ports, where it is stored and then piped or trucked around the country to service stations. So when you fill up at the pump, your petrol almost certainly started its journey at a large refinery in the wider Asia–Pacific region rather than in a New Zealand refinery.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.