Hovering for energy

Helicopters are an essential and exciting part of life for the energy sector, ferrying freight and passengers between shore and offshore drilling rigs and production platforms, or into barely accessible areas of bush or farmland.

In between routine ferrying and freighting for the region’s energy sector, local chopper companies put a fair few flying hours into organised hunting trips, tourism flights and even hauling around film stars.

Precision Helicopters chief executive Matthew Newton remembers well the time he spent flying Tom Cruise around the region, and further afield, during the filming of The Last Samurai movie in 2003-04.

“I was his personal helicopter pilot for four months and used to fly him nearly every day,” Newton told Energy NZ.

“I used to go to his exclusive rented residence at Oakura and then fly him to where they were filming, which was often at the specially created Japanese village in the remote Uruti Valley north of New Plymouth.

“I also used to take him, his children and girlfriend at the time, Penelope Cruz, on trips at weekends. He had a soft spot for Taranaki, was really personable, pulled his own weight, and carried his own luggage and stuff.

“In fact, I enjoyed that assignment so much it was one of the reasons I started Precision Helicopters and bought my own helicopter later in 2004.”

Today Precision Helicopters (PHL) owns four helicopters and leases one for its diverse work that includes energy, agriculture, hunting, tourism and general passenger flights.

Newton reckons that oil and gas related work – ferrying freight and passengers to and from locations, sometimes into barely accessible areas of bush - now accounts for over a quarter of his business.

This can involve anything from heli-drilling (taking small land-based oil rigs into remote locations by helicopter) to regular aerial pipeline inspection surveys, for such firms as energy infrastructure company Vector, or flying in seismic survey equipment and personnel, such as that done last year in Southland for L&M Petroleum.

“In the past four years, the seismic survey operation has been steadily increasing, with PHL providing helicopter support for oil companies from one end of New Zealand to the other and overseas,” Newton told Energy NZ.

He says regions he has worked include Taranaki, Waikato, West Coast, Southland, Canterbury, Wairarapa, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne. In Papua New Guinea, PHL worked in the Tabubil region in late 2006. 

“We work with other contractors such as drilling, survey, and seismic recording companies, and have built up our range of specialised equipment to better cater for our colleagues’ needs, Newton adds.

“I definitely think oil and gas related work will continue to grow for us as the company is specialised in this field and has invested in good staff, and equipment, as well as good safety procedures,” he concludes.

Helicopters New Zealand (HNZ) is another helicopter company servicing the Taranaki energy industry.

Nelson-headquartered HNZ has had a 30-year partnership with New Plymouth-headquartered Shell Todd Oil Services (STOS), but it recently started working with Sydney-headquartered Australian Worldwide Exploration as well.

In addition, in anticipation of increasing energy related work opportunities, HNZ earlier this year bought a new US$12 million Italian-made AgustaWestland 139 chopper – the first helicopter of its type in the New Zealand or Australian oil and gas sectors.

The helicopter now regularly ferries freight and passengers to and from the Maui A platform, and occasionally to and from the usually unmanned Maui B platform for STOS.

The chopper is also regularly flying to and from the Tui oil field west of Maui -- to and from the Tui floating production storage and offtake (FPSO) vessel Umuroa and its visiting tankers.

As well, NZ owns Helicopters Australia, which is active in the Aussie minerals and mining sectors and headquartered in Perth.

Helicopters NZ general manager Dennis Laird says that with the active New Zealand oil and gas sector, coupled with plans to expand its Australian activities, HNZ has ordered another AgustaWestland 139 that is due to arrive in September.

He says HNZ may use this second AgustaWestland in either Australia or New Zealand.

He adds that it has the range and the speed needed for remote operations, such as those planned in the Great South Basin, where joint ventures headed by ExxonMobil and Austrian firm OMV have just started their hunt for giant oil or gas fields off Southland.

The AgustaWestland can carry up to 15 passengers, or up to 1500kg of freight. It has a maximum speed of 150 knots, a maximum range of 933 kilometres, and can fly for up to four-and-a-half hours at a time.

Next: With safety in mind