Maui Oil Field

The Maui oil field is operated by Shell Todd Oil Service and is located off the South Taranaki coast. I get to visit occasionally to do computer support work and usually try and get a few shots if I get a moment to spare.

Ian on FPSO
Doing the tourist thing on the bridge at lunch time

Maui Bmpb2
The Maui B platform, about 2km from the FPSO  (Floating Production, Storage & Offloading) ship. These 2 shots show the usual configuration and with the drilling rig which is currently mounted onboard.

FPSO
The main deck of the FPSO ship. A converted supertanker which is permanantly anchored near the Maui B platform.

TankerTankerOffloadingPacific Onyx
A conventional tanker approaches to offload crude oil, the tanker is tethered to the FPSO to allow offloading. A flexible hose floating between the tankers transfers the oil.

Oceanclearday1clearday2
Wider angle shot of the tanker and Maui B platform. Trying to give an idea of the open ocean, land isn't even visible the first shot because of the haze. The others are on a much clearer day. 

seals
Seals sunning themselves on the offload pipe.

Helicopterchopper
The helicopter arriving to collect us at the end of the days.

The Turretturret2.jpg
The 'Turret' at the front of FPSO. The ship swivels on these anchor chains like a windvane.

B, FPSO & TankerfpsoFPSO & Tanker
From the chopper, a view of the Maui B platform, FPSO and loading tanker. Notice the support vessel at the stern of the tanker keeping tension on the ships to steady them in the swell. Sea doesn't look very rough but the swell was 3-4 metres this day and the movement was very noticable onboard FPSO.

Maui Bmpb1s.jpg (981 bytes)
The Maui B platform. Originally constructed as a slave natural gas production platform linked to the original Maui A platform. However once the wells had been drilled it produced oil as well as the expected gas and the FPSO was commisioned as the most economical way to recover the crude.

Maui AMaui AMaui A Helipad
The Maui A platfrom. The original gas only platform, permanantly manned and much larger than the slave B platform. The structure stands in open ocean approx 300 ft deep. Views as we circled to land.

Farmland
A view of the South Taranaki farmland as we circled to land at the onshore station at Oanui.

 

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