Float-off of Maari wellhead platform completed successfully

Earlier this month, Australian engineering and construction firm Clough completed float-off of the Maari wellhead platform in New Zealand for OMV New Zealand Ltd. on behalf of Maari joint venture partners. The 9,770-tonne platform, standing 140 m in height, arrived in New Zealand after sailing from Malaysia in a 22-day dry transport on the MV Blue Marlin semisubmersible heavy transport vessel, contracted from Dockwise Shipping BV, the Netherlands. The float-off was carried out in the topographically sheltered waters of the Marlborough Sounds region on the north coast of New Zealand’s South Island. With the float-off completed, the project’s focus turns to wet-towing the platform from its current location to the field and self-installing it into position in the Tasman Sea off the west coast of Taranaki. Photo from Clough.