Oil company Caltex is preparing to scale down its Wellington head office and move some jobs to Auckland.
But spokesman John Kerr denied the company was planning to leave the capital entirely, saying it was in the process of a "strategic review" which would look at moving some head office
functions to Auckland.
Caltex employs about 100 people at its Wellington head office, and about 100 other management staff in Auckland and Christchurch.
Mr Kerr said no decisions had been made, but moving some staff to Auckland was Caltex's preferred option.
"There's still a lot of work that needs to be done.
"At the moment we have a strategy...about looking at locating core functions in Auckland. But we remain committed to Wellington, absolutely."
About 40 marketing staff are expected to be the first to go, in the next three years. New Zealand chairman Nick Hannan, also the head of marketing for Caltex, lives in Auckland.
Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast said the council would try to persuade Caltex to stay in Wellington.
"We've made it very clear over the past few years we're prepared to work with existing big business in our city to make sure they stay here and grow. Clearly the message hasn't got through to all big business because here's one that hasn't approached us in the first instance."
Previous examples showed a company moving its marketing department to Auckland was often a precursor to a full shift.
Mr Kerr said after marketing other "core functions" might be reviewed.
- nzpa
