Oil and gas explorers gathering in Auckland next week are breathing a sigh of relief at the election result but face the age-old challenge - making a major discovery.

Oil companies are forging ahead with a plan to import more fuels to minimise disruption from planned strike action at NZ's only oil refinery.

It's that happy time of year for hundreds of thousands of Auckland households - the annual dividend payout from the AECT is in the mail.

For nearly a year, it turns out, the Pike River mine could have been made safe to enter.

Kathmandu, which today posted a 4.5pc decline in annual profit, said Australasian earnings should rise in the coming year.

Investors in Genesis Energy, Mighty River Power and Meridian Energy were more than $600 million richer on paper at one point yesterday after their shares were boosted by National's decisive victory.

Shares in Mighty River Power have finally rallied over their issue price after trading substantially below it for most of the company’s life.

Saudi Arabia will need to keep cutting oil output to sustain prices above $100 a barrel as global oil demand weakens, analysts say.

New Zealand financial markets are expected to firm when they open today after the National Party secured the first ever outright win.

Investors in listed power companies appear to be betting the National Party will retain the government benches at Saturday's general election.

Michelle Dickinson says the field of nanotechnology is going to experience huge growth in the coming years, and will affect most areas of our lives.

A couple charged with defrauding Mighty River Power of $2 million bought a $1.4 million Auckland property the month before the energy company started an investigation.

NZX-listed Mighty River Power has been caught up in an alleged $2 million employee husband-and-wife fraud.

Power bills have been rising relentlessly. The two sides of politics are divided on house best to rein that in - competition or regulation.

Vector saw net profit after tax fall 16.9pc in the year to June 30 as regulator-mandated cuts to its monopoly assets bit into revenues.

Cost savings have helped Mighty River Power boost profit by 84 per cent and pay a dividend slightly above expectations.

Vector is in a High Court dispute with Inland Revenue about whether a $53m payment the electricity company received is taxable.

The stars have aligned for Contact Energy - producing an increase in profit to $234m and a second dividend increase for shareholders in two years.

Contact Energy will today formally open its latest geothermal power station, likely to be the last big plant built this decade.

Auckland Airport hopes a new energy conservation programme launched with tenants will be worth $2 million a year in savings.

Kathmandu says a cold snap last month in Australia and New Zealand helped generate more sales than anticipated.