UPDATE 1-Shell offloads its New Zealand assets to Austria's OMV

March 15 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc isselling its upstream assets in New Zealand to Austria's OMV AGfor $578 million, the companies said on Thursday.

"Today's announcement is another step towards reshaping andsimplifying our company," Shell's Integrated Gas & New EnergiesDirector Maarten Wetselaar said.

Thursday's agreement includes the sale of Maui, Pohokura andTank Farms. After deal closure, Shell Taranaki and Shell NewZealand employees will become a part of OMV New Zealand, Shellsaid.

"This acquisition is an important step to developAustralasia into a core region in line with our new strategy,"OMV CEO Rainer Seele said.

Shell has sold or agreed to sell over $25 billion of assetsas part of a three-year programme to dispose of $30 billion bythe end of 2018, following the acquisition of BG Group in 2016.

Shell sold its stake in Kapuni gas field, New Zealand'ssecond-largest, for an undisclosed price in 2017.(Reporting by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru; Editing by AndrewRoche)