Support ship’s crew stays anchored in bay
An oil support vessel has been hunkered down near Nelson since lockdown due to a dry run of oil and gas exploration around Taranaki.
The offshore supply vessel Skandi Hercules, which is owned by Norwegian company DOF, has been anchored in Tasman Bay since late March.
Another supply ship, the Solstad Offshore-owned platform supply vessel Normand Tortuga, has been berthed on Kingsford Quay at Port Nelson since the start of April.
The Hercules’ chief officer Anthony Goldsworthy said he was unable to comment on the presence of the vessel in the bay, but confirmed that a crew was on board while it was anchored in Tasman Bay.
He referred Stuff’s other enquiries, including how long it would remain in the bay, to DOF management who were approached for comment.
However, it is believed that the ship will remain in Tasman Bay for several more weeks before heading to South-East Asia. DOF told Stuff the vessel would remain in the bay for an unknown period of time.
The vessel’s presence has been a talking point for curious locals.
The 109.42 metre-long vessel had previously supported the deep sea drilling rig COSL Prospector, off Taranaki.
Stuff reported OMV completed the first well – Toutouwai-1 – off the Taranaki coast, in March and reached the reservoir in April.
OMV’s senior vice president Australasia Gabriel Selischi said in April results showed that hydrocarbon charged layers were found during drilling and the find was understood to be a first commercial discovery since 2006.
However, due to Alert level four lockdown further testing was curtailed.
Toutouwai-1 was plugged and abandoned and the COSL Prospector departed Taranaki waters for SouthEast Asia.
‘‘When Covid-19 came in we were forced to shut off the drilling campaign a bit early. The Hercules finished the work there and was ‘offhire’ as we say,’’ OMV spokesman Matiu Park said yesterday.
‘‘Basically we don’t have any involvement with those vessels once the contracts wrapped up ... but I’d say they’ll be down there waiting for their next job.’’
Built in 2010, the Skandi Hercules is a multi-purpose vessel.
Marinelink website recently reported that DOF had warned that some of its vessels might be laid up after the end of their current contracts, citing lack of new work opportunities amid the oil price rout and Covid-19 pandemic effects.