FPSO vessel – the ‘Whakaaropai’

When Maui began operation, a number of methods for oil recovery and transport were considered, but the FPSO (floating production storage and offloading) vessel was chosen as the best option.

A 135,000 tonne tanker was converted to a FPSO in Singapore. It was named ‘Whakaaropai’, a Maori word meaning ‘good thoughts’. An environmental impact study to determine where to position her, looking at the wind and waves studies of the harsh Taranaki ocean, incorporated more than a decade’s worth of data.

During August 1996, the 'Whakaaropai' was positioned south-south-west 1.3 kilometres from the Maui B platform. Once moored with 10 anchor chains, the propulsion system was immobilised and flexible pipelines were connected to receive oil from Maui B.

The vessel was free to rotate around the mooring according to the wind direction, in a process called 'weather vaning'.

Once the storage capacity of the vessel (110,000 cubic metres of oil) was reached, the oil was pumped to shuttle tankers and taken to the Marsden Point oil refinery near Whangarei or exported.

In 2006, ‘Whakaaropai’ was no longer needed and she left New Zealand shores under her own power.

McKee / Mangahewa Fields

STOS operated these fields for Todd Energy from April 2002 until June 2006.