Skandi Hercules in port
An offshore supply vessel, which has been used to support deep sea drilling rigs off the Taranaki and Otago coasts berthed at Timaru’s port on Sunday.
The last time a Skandi vessel docked in Timaru it was stormed by 27 Greenpeace protesters, who illegally occupied the vessel for 57 hours before being removed by police.
Sixteen people were arrested during the November 2019 protest aboard the Skandi Atlantic.
The Skandi Hercules, complete with its helicopter pad, can be seen from vantage points around the port.
The offshore supply vessel, which is owned by Austrian-owned oil and gas company OMV, was not listed on the port’s shipping schedule.
OMV NZ and its partner Mitsui have a permit to explore 16,715 square kilometres in the Great South Basin. This was extended by the Government in 2018 and expires in July 2022. The permit requires the drilling of a well by July 2021. If drilling is successful the permit can be extended out to 2030.
The offshore supply vessel had been supporting the $300 million deep sea drilling rig COSL Prospector, off Taranaki, until operations were suspended late in 2019.
PrimePort chief executive Phil Melhopt said there were no details on the vessel’s stay available when asked yesterday.
‘‘The ship is here to use the facilities as it is a port.
‘‘I’m not clear as to the estimated time it will be here. It’s information I haven’t checked at this stage,’’ Melhopt said.
Asked whether any additional security measures had been put in place following the protest in November, Melhopt said security was paramount to the port.
‘‘Security is obviously very important to us.’’
However, he was unwilling to discuss any security measures in case any attempt was made to occupy the Skandi Hercules.
Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, Amanda Larsson said she could not confirm whether any further protests were planned for Timaru.
‘‘I cannot reveal everything we have up our sleeves because it will make it impossible to do what we do.
‘‘Obviously the drilling off the South Island (South Otago Basin about 150km off the Otago coastline) is very controversial. I know there is a group of South Islanders who have been doing a number of protests and also planning a flotilla out to meet the rig off shore,’’ Larsson said.
She said she believed the South Otago Basin oil rig had a number of different support vessels ‘‘going in and out of a few different ports including Timaru and New Plymouth’’.
Kurt Aldam, of Kingston Offshore Services, the New Zealand agent of the Skandi vessels, said he preferred not to comment on why the Hercules was berthed in Timaru.
‘‘I’d rather not say to be honest.’’