The NZ Super Fund has made another major energy investment, committing up to US$250 million to North American gas and oil opportunities with energy investor KKR.

Up to US$175 million will be directed, on a flexible basis, to new KKR energy private equity investments in North American natural gas exploration and production, midstream, downstream and/or energy infrastructure and services.

The remaining US$75 million will be invested with the $2.0 billion KKR Energy Income and Growth Fund, a new KKR fund focused primarily on investing in the development of unconventional gas and oil resources in North America.

Other NZ Super Fund energy sector investments over the past 12 months include US$100 million in Bloom Energy, which uses solid oxide fuel cell technology to create power, and US$55 million in wind turbine manufacturer Ogin.

The investments follow extensive research into opportunities in the energy sector by the Fund over the past couple of years.

The Fund's General Manager Investments Matt Whineray said:

"These new investments will broaden and diversify the Fund's current exposure to energy, in line with what is a changing global energy sector."

Mr. Whineray said the KKR investment was premised on attractive long-term returns in energy and significant market changes including the rapid development of natural gas and unconventional oil assets.

Mr. Whineray also said:

"Developments in North American gas and oil are profoundly changing both global energy markets and markets within North America. For example, there is a large and ongoing decline in the burning of coal in the US as energy utilities transition towards gas supplies. Access to these opportunities is, however, difficult to achieve solely through listed markets. Partnering with KKR will give us the benefit of their expertise and deep relationships in the energy sector."

Mr. Whineray said that while the Fund would continue to hold a substantial passive exposure to the energy sector, consistent with its market cap-weighted Reference Portfolio, the KKR mandate offered a number of benefits to the Fund.

"These benefits include improved expected returns, resilience in relation to a rapidly changing sector and greater insight into, and control over, our investment exposures. Our focus on responsible investment will also be bolstered by KKR's expertise in the management of environmental, social and governance factors."

According to October 2012 estimates from ICF International and elaborated upon in a white paper by KKR, developing the resource and the delivery infrastructure to bring this new supply to market will require $2 trillion in upstream investments for natural gas production (including associated volumes of condensate and natural gas liquids) between 2011 and 2035.

This is the NZ Super Fund's third investment with KKR. It also has investments in other KKR funds, including KKR Asian Fund and KKR 2006 Fund.

The $25 billion New Zealand Superannuation Fund invests globally in order to help pre-fund New Zealanders' future retirement entitlements.