Maui pipe-laying about to begin

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34046, 9 January 1976, Page 7

Maui pipe-laying about to begin

(From our Wellington • Reporter) Work is almost about! jto begin on laying the 21» i miles of steel pipeline from the Maui platform to the Oaonui oil-produc-tion station five miles north of Opunake in Taranaki. I As soon as the special; jbarge, the Kokan Pioneer,! has finished its part in the installation of the Maui tower jout to sea it will be available; jto lay the 24in gas pipeline' and the lOin condensate pipe- i line. The pipes were made in Japan and delivered to New Zealand about a year ago.' They have been coated with bitumen and wrapped, and coated with concrete so that they will sink. The pipelines are now at New Plymouth waiting to be laid.

*—z ; The lengths of pipe will be: : joined on the barge and then ■ lowered over the stern as: I the barge moves forward in (stages, hauling itself to its I 'new position on anchors; placed ahead of it. i The gas pipeline will bej (laid from Oaonui to the; (tower and the trip made back j Ito Oaonui again laying the! (condensate line. i Laying the pipelines is an; (intricate manoevure and a( I six-mile area of boulders off ’ (the coast, will have to be sur-l Iveyed by divers ahead of the! (laying. An observation belli I will be used to spot the best |route through the boulders.' (Throughout this area the con-( i Crete coating around the; pipes will have steel slivers’ (added for strength. Work on the Oaonui earthworks is progressing well. Machinery- has been brought and civil and mechanical engineering contracts for Oaonui have been drawn up.