New Zealand Oil and Gas completed its 3-D seismic survey off the Moeraki coastline on December 31.
Te Runanga o Moeraki upoko (appointed traditional leader) David Higgins said the permit holder had previously indicated the area was likely to yield ''99% gas'', rather than oil.
The Government had awarded the permits - in this case the Clipper-1 in the Canterbury Basin - and ''there is no way we are going to stop them''.
''But whatever we can achieve for the community, whether it is coastline restoration or whatever, then it is good for the community.''
''We are very proactive about this. You can sit on your laurels and moan and groan about this sort of thing happening.''
''You will find the Ngai Tahu stance is pretty pragmatic. We have always been that way inclined and whatever the tribes do up north, that is fine with us, too.''
Runanga representatives were to meet New Zealand Oil and Gas soon, to ''consider a reasonable mitigation package that would be good for North Otago''.
The New Zealand listed company had been ''pretty relaxed'' about conditions imposed for the survey, which concerned largely cultural and environmental impacts, he said.
If data from the survey resulted in the company wanting to drill in the area, than the runanga would meet drillers to discuss their conditions.
He said while gas, and not oil, was expected, oil condensate was sometimes found ''weeping on to the beach'' at Moeraki.
''That has been doing that for years.''
Mr Higgins said North Otago was in a position to benefit by offering services to any oil companies which drilled in the area ''because that is where the money is''.
Other runanga might have different opinions about oil and gas explorations, which ''they are going to express at a later date, when the search vessels are off their coastline''.
