DOF Subsea Asia Pacific has been awarded a contract to upgrade the mooring system on the Raroa FPSO, located at the Maari oilfield, offshore New Zealand.
According to OMV, operator of the field, total investment in the system upgrade, including engineering, equipment and construction is estimated to be around NZ$60 million, or $40.4 million in U.S. dollars.
OMV said that the work, expected to be carried out between February and April 2016, will future-proof the mooring system for the next decade. The upgrade will involve inspection and work on all eight mooring lines, which are permanently anchored to the sea floor, 100m below the surface. They are attached to the vessel via an internal swivel, allowing the ship to rotate freely with the prevailing winds and currents.
OMV Managing Director Peter Zeilinger said the mooring system will remain fully certified and operational throughout the works.
He said: “Maintenance was done on four of the lines in 2013, and further work was anticipated in 2-5 years. We’re taking advantage of a lower service price environment and synergies with other work to bring the upgrade forward.”
Zeilinger also said the work had been timed to coincide with the annual maintenance shutdown. The vessel Skandi Hercules will be used to conduct the upgrade work.