Ensco 56 is back!!

Ensco 56 had been held up at Port Taranaki due to inconvenient weather. It had been towed from Tasman Bay/Nelson to a new drilling site off Awakino but the forecast held the rig in at Port. Ensco 56 was moved on the 26th August and has headed to Awakino to start drilling again.

Originally, Ensco 56 is the same rig that drilled the Pohokura production wells off Motunui and has been contracted to drill the Awakino South Exploration well for a Singapore based company STP Energy. Following this the rig will then move to another location in the Exploration licence area to drill another well (Kahu 1). Welcome back Ensco 56!

Scale Model Helicopter Competition

Engineer Craig Anderson has built a scale model helicopter 1:7.6 (1.5 meters long) scale of HNI Bell 412, powered by a methanol .67 cubic inch motor. The 4 - blade head makes it harder to fly but look very realistic. It has taken Craig almost three years to build and invested quite a bit of time and money into his hobby.

Craig's hard slog has paid off by enabling him to place first in a Scale Model Helicopter Competition in Rotorua on the 23rd & 24th August 2008. Congratulations Craig!! We are proud of you!!

Taharoa Express Rides Again!

Here are some pictures of Dave Sowman loading food supplies onto the “Taharoa Express” at Taharoa using pre-loaded cage baskets which we designed for the job. This contract at Taharoa which is on the West Coast between New Plymouth and Auckland is for New Zealand Steel Mining.



The ships take black sand which is surfaced mined by dredge from the local sand hills and transported to the ship which is tied up to a buoy about one mile offshore. The sand is pumped out through a pipe line in water mix slurry. The water then is drained from the ship overboard.


Generally the sand goes to China or Japan to make steel. This contract is the longest running contract in the HNZ Group, initially starting 36 years ago on 21 October 1962. This vessel is the largest ship that comes into New Zealand waters. Kudos to Jim Wilson for providing the write-up and photos.

HNZ on the Cover of The Oily Rag

It was our pleasure to have onboard Paul Hartigan and Peter Walker from Bay Engineers Supplies. They were here to present us with a framed copy of The Oily Rag - a monthly magazine that is specifically designed for engineers to order parts and supplies. Each month, they feature different photographs from New Zealand companies they distribute to.

This month we are honoured to have Bay Engineers highlight HNZ on the front cover. Devlin Williams, Supply Officer for HNZ NP, is presented with this fine plaque which is now hanging in both the Engineering spaces and the main entrance way to our establishment. Well done guys!!

Pilots Return From Italy 139 Training

Two of our pilots (Rick Lord and Alex Carroll) have just returned from 139 simulator training in Italy. Their sim instructor was Rob Carr, ex-military from the British Army and Royal Navy then out to civilian flying on police and rescue type work before coming over to Rotorsim.

"A good guy, practical and thorough, relaxed in the sim but firm enough to not let you get away with anything, first class all round", states Allan. "Types of training involved were sorties, sim, external power start, and ground taxi manoeuvres, and basic emergencies just to name a few. An extensive training schedule. We did get a bit of a chance to enjoy Italy".

"There is an internet room and international direct dial calls are free so keeping in touch with home is not too much of a hassle, the canteen is open at 1200 and the grub is free unless you get certain items. Think rig food (not hot cuisine) but, not bad either)".

Well done fellas and welcome back!

Ensco 56 Headed to Nelson

The 143m-high, 53m-wide rig, which has been drilling off the coast of Taranaki, marked the completion of the Pohokura gas field and is headed to Port Nelson for a refit before moving onto its next project.

As the rig was heading out past Mount Egmont, our pilots were conducting training and were able to capture some incredible pictures. These pictures were taken by Russell Pirihi.

The Ensco 56 is described as a self-elevating "jackup" rig, and is operated by Shell under a Liberian flag. It can drill to 7620m, has a heliberth and can accommodate almost 100 people.

Local School Pays a Visit

On 29 May, Senior Pilot John Anderson organized a visit from the New Plymouth Play centre to see some of our helicopters in action. All the children (and adult chaperons) were given a brief on some of the general aspects of our new installation.

They were allowed to observe take offs and approach from our briefing room. John, Brian, and Craig were instrumental in providing information on piloting and engineering - quite possibly a future pilot or engineer?


Afterwards, the children were allowed to sit in one of the helicopters in the hanger. All in all, they had a good time (I do believe the parents had more fun!).