Tui Area operator Australian Worldwide Exploration yesterday afternoon reported that the Umuroa left Singapore on Sunday and was due on location, about 50km off Taranaki, by mid-April.

AWE managing director Bruce Phillips said from Sydney that the vessel’s departure for New Zealand waters boded well for the on-time delivery of the $US245 million ($A318 million) Tui Area development. First oil is expected by June 30, with full initial production of about 50,000 barrels per day.

The Umuroa – Maori for “long on energy” – can process up to 120,000 barrels of fluids per day, including 50,000bbl of oil, and has an oil storage capacity of 730,000bbl.

The FPSO’s owner, Norwegian company Prosafe, will operate and lease the vessel to the Tui partners for an initial five-year period, with the option of extending that for up to another five years.

Meanwhile, the semi-submersible Ocean Patriot rig has successfully completed and suspended Tui-3H, the second of four scheduled Tui Area development wells. The rig is presently running anchors at the third wellsite before starting drilling operations on Amokura-2H.

The PMP 38158 (Tui Area) partners are operator AWE with a 42.5% stake, New Zealand Oil & Gas (12.5%), Mitsui E & P New Zealand (35%) and Pan Pacific Petroleum (10%).