We are writing in response to the invitation to submit comments on the Oil Security report that was prepared by Covec and Hale and Twomey (‘the Report’) and released on 14 December 2004. We agree that the government faces an international relationship problem. The inventories of oil in New Zealand are estimated to be around 500,000 tonnes short of the amount required to achieve the 90-day target set by the International Energy Agency (IEA), of which New Zealand is a member.