The McKee gas & oil producing field in Taranaki was named after Tasman Joseph 'Tas' McKee OBE (1911–1973), a New Zealand industrial and agricultural chemist, geologist, company director.

Tas was born in Nelson, NZ (hence the name Tasman), on 7 May 1911, 1 of 3 children to Arthur McKee (1863-1943), Newspaper proprietor, photo-engraver & printer, land agent, businessman, orchardist, and his second wife, Annie Isabel Macdonald (1881-1958) who married in 1908.

Tas married Freda Mary Redding in 1940. Freda died in 1969 and Tas married Margaret Josephine Luoni in Sydney on 7 Feb 1973. However, the following month, on 3 March he died suddenly on a flight from Fiji to Sydney. He is buried with Freda at Nelson.

His father, Arthur McKee, was born in Liverpool Lancashire, England to Alexander McKee & Jane Fleck. His first wife was Martha Gore Holden (1863-1905)
If you can trace your ancestors from Wyoming and beyond, back to Liverpool, England and beyond, you just may find a connection.