;
;
The Maari Wellhead Platform, in the Taranaki Basin off the coast of New Zealand, is an oil drilling platform tied to a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FSPO). The platform’s facilities include down hole heating and pumping systems, wellhead control panel, temporary accommodation, helideck and pedestal crane.
The Maari platform represents one of the most technically demanding platform installations in the Australasia region. Situated in 100m of water at the edge of the region of strong westerly winds known as the ‘roaring forties’, the platform is configured to remain serviceable in 20m high waves, wind gust speeds in excess of 160 km/h and moderate seismic conditions.
DrillACE
The most suitable field development solution for the challenging conditions was identified to be a wellhead platform installed over the field and tied to an FSPO. Arup’s self-installing DrillACE concept was chosen as the preferred approach. This concept was successfully implemented in 2004 for the Yolla-A platform in Bass Strait, Australia. The Maari DrillACE has a similar arrangement to the Yolla platform, with the added challenges of deeper water and harsher conditions for installation and operation.
Arup’s DrillACE enabled the client to develop a remote and technically challenging field. At the end of its useful life at this location, the platform may be moved to another site or returned to shore for dismantling and recycling.
The DrillACE platforms for both the Yolla-A and Maari projects have been developed under a joint collaboration between Arup and Clough.
