The first phase finished in May this year which saw the FPSO disconnected and sailed away. The government had been calling for tenders for work wrapping up the field since February after the operator went into voluntary administration in 2019. 

 

The Crown has been left with the costs, unlike in Australia when the single asset Northern Oil and Gas Australia whose decommissioning costs will be borne by the entire offshore oil and gas industry in Australia on a proportional basis. 

 

"Shelf Subsea has a proven track record in successfully fulfilling contracts of this type and MBIE's Tui Project team is looking forward to working with them to advance this next phase of the decommissioning," Tui project director Lloyd Williams said. 

 

"Shelf Subsea's proposed boat, the Southern Star, is a state-of-the-art vessel and will carry the specialised equipment required to complete the work safely and efficiently."

 

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has applied for marine works consents with the Environmental Protection Authority and it says the Independent Board of Inquiry is considering the application. If approved, works could begin this summer. Final plugging and abandoning is expected by the end of next year. 

 

Tamarind Taranaki, a subsidiary of Malaysia-headquartered Tamarind Resources, was liquidated after falling into debt the New Zealand government was left with the clean up bill. 

 

In 2019 Tamarind cited "a number of commercial factors" when it went into voluntary administration. 

 

The Umuroa FPSO was moored in the field for 14 years. Work began in January to disconnect it. 

 

In November the environmental court ruled in BW's favour, finally allowing it to disconnect the vessel from the Tui field. 

 

"We are satisfied that disconnection can be done with effects that are minor or less than minor, and therefore in general accordance with the principal objectives of the EEZ and the RMA," the court found. 

 

BW had spent US$21 million keeping the FPSO onsite and safe, including staff wages. It put its local subsidiary into liquidation as a result of the costs.