Specialized Vessel Arrives in Port Taranaki for Tui Offshore Oil Field Decommissioning

Monday, May 15, 2023

The third stage of work to decommission the Tui oil field will begin this week when a specialist well intervention vessel arrives at Port Taranaki, the port said Monday.

Helix Energy Solutions’ Q7000 semi-submersible vessel that specializes in decommissioning projects, is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday and will be in port for approximately a week to carry out a crew exchange and to load supplies for the campaign.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) in 2021 awarded Helix a contract for well abandonment, recovery of XTs, and wellhead severance and recovery, at the Tui field.

Upon final preparations in the Port Taranaki, Q7000 will head to the Tui field and begin work on phase three of the decommissioning – to plug and abandon the field wells – which is expected to take about three months to complete.

Port Taranaki head of commercial Ross Dingle said the port was pleased to be of support, having also provided berthing services and laydown facilities for the first two stages of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment-led project.

“The well abandonment is the most important part of the project, so we’re very pleased to assist,” Dingle said. “It’s important to be clear that this vessel is here to decommission the field, not drill new wells.”

He said the Q7000, which is in transit from Perth, would come to port under its own steam and Port Taranaki would then provide pilotage and tug support to bring the vessel to the berth.

“Dozens of workers and project staff will be joining the vessel in New Plymouth, so it works well for the vessel to come into port for the crew transfer and to load supplies before heading to the site,” Mr Dingle said.

Port Taranaki is working with New Plymouth-headquartered energy consultancy and developer Elemental Group, which is providing project management assistance of New Zealand operations for Helix Energy Solutions.

Elemental Group director Nick Jackson said that along with providing logistics support and assisting with health and safety and environmental compliance, the company was also assisting with procurement, and managing the New Zealand companies needed for the project work.

“All up, there will be a team of more than 100 on the Q7000, over half being Kiwis and Aussies in operations roles working alongside the Helix crew, as well as several specialist roles, such as wireline and cementing,” Mr Jackson said.

“We’re excited to be a part of the project. I worked on some of the original Tui exploration wells, so it’s nice to be involved in restoring the mauri of the area.”

MBIE is responsible for the decommissioning of the Tui Oil Field after the liquidation and receivership of Tamarind Taranaki Ltd.
Categories: Engineering Activity Decommissioning Australia/NZ Plugging and Abandonment

Related Stories

Op-Ed: Kazakhstan’s National O&G Firm Positioning Itself as Global Energy Player

Woodside Inks Long-Term LNG Supply Deal with China Resources

MODEC and Samsung Team Up to Install Carbon Capture Tech on FPSO

ADNOC Signs 15-Year LNG Supply Deal with Osaka Gas for Ruwais Project

Sapura Energy Nets $720M from Multiple Drilling Services Contracts

ADNOC Secures LNG Supply Deal with India's BPCL

CNOOC Starts Production at Offshore Oil Filed Equipped with CCUS Tech

McDermott Concludes Work at PTTEP’s Kikeh Gas Field Off Malaysia

Santos Hires Weststar-GAP for Timor-Leste Offshore Helicopter Services

Petronas Preps for Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline Decom Op

Current News

Shell-Reliance-ONGC JV Complete India’s First Offshore Decom Project

The Future of Long-Idle Drillships: Cold-Stacked or Dead-Stacked?

TMC Books Compressors Orders for FPSO and LNG Vessels

MODEC, Sumitomo Partner Up for Delivery of Gato do Mato FPSO

Chuditch Gas Field Up for Summer Drilling Ops as Sunda Reshapes Ownership Structure

EnQuest Bags Two Production Sharing Contracts off Indonesia

Hanwha Drilling’s Tidal Action Drillship En Route to Petrobras’ Roncador Field

China's ENN, Zhenhua Oil Ink LNG Supply Deals with ADNOC

MODEC Wins ExxonMobil Guyana’s Hammerhead FPSO Contract

India Stretches Bids Deadline for 13 Offshore Deep-Sea Mineral Blocks

Subscribe for AOG Digital E‑News

AOG Digital E-News is the subsea industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email three times per week

https://accounts.newwavemedia.com