ACT's leader is questioning whether Greens co-leader James Shaw vetoed the Government's original plans for offshore oil and gas exploration.

The Government has released all advice and communications around the block offer decision made in April 12th.

One email shows that Energy Minister Megan Woods was considering just suspending the permits until the Interim Climate Change Committee investigated the impact they would have on our net-zero carbon by 2050 target.

But James Shaw's office raised concern this would broaden the committee's scope and limit its ability to deliver on its key focus, agriculture.

David Seymour says the Greens should come clean and tell New Zealanders why they're so afraid of considering the real-world impacts of their decision.

However, Woods says that they simply weren't sure this work could be done in time.

"For me, there was also the question which we all came to an agreement on was that a decision had to be made. We couldn't introduce more uncertainty."

A different document shows Woods told Cabinet on April the 9th of her intention to announce there would be no future offshore block offers.

Woods says that's standard protocol - and even though this decision included future years, it was still an appropriate way to do it.

"We also signalled that we'd be bringing more information to cabinet for more decision making around implementation."

Documents also show officials were only given the green light to contact stakeholders at just before 9 o'clock the night before.

Woods says that's because it was a commercial decision.

"A block offer is essentially a competitive tendering process. It is usual practice not to let people know the outcome of a commercial decision until it is going to be announced."