Tui Project: decommissioning the Tui oil field
Monday 22 November 2021
The NZ Government has commenced work to manage the Tui oil field assets and plan for decommissioning of its wells in the wake of the financial problems affecting the permit operator Tamarind Taranaki Ltd.
MBIE has awarded a contract to Helix Offshore Services Limited for the plugging and abandonment of the wells in the Tui Oil Field (Phase 3 of the Tui decommissioning) following a following a competitive procurement process.
The company is a subsidiary of New York Stock Exchange-listed Helix Energy Solutions Group which is headquartered in Houston, Texas with regional offices in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Singapore and Perth.
The work is subject to regulatory approval by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
MBIE has submitted an application for marine consents with the EPA for the removal of the subsea infrastructure and the plugging and abandoning of the Tui wells. An Independent Board of Inquiry is considering MBIE’s application.
Subject to EPA granting the marine consents, it is anticipated the plugging and abandonment work will be carried out from late 2022.