Maari partner Horizon Oil, which holds a 10% stake in the $US457 million ($A500 million) project, said the overall development was 59% complete. First oil is expected in August next year, but this will depend on the availability of the Ensco 107 jack-up rig.

This rig arrived in New Zealand waters last month and is now at the Kupe central field area preparing to begin work on the three Kupe development wells and the Momoho near-field exploration well.

It is expected to begin development drilling at Maari next June.

Sydney-based Horizon said Maari well construction planning was progressing satisfactorily on all fronts and the naming ceremony for the FPSO Raroa would take place on November 12.

Singapore's SembCorp Marine is converting the Andaman Sea tanker into the Maari FPSO vessel at its Jurong Shipyard.

All major process modules and process equipment had been installed on the Raroa, and subsea facilities were being readied for delivery to the installation mobilisation point, according to Horizon.

The second scheduled dry docking was completed in September, while the final process modules were shipped from Batam late that month.

Horizon said the fabrication of the wellhead platform (WHP), in Lumut, Malaysia, had been the most challenging aspect of the development project so far and the focus continued to be meeting the scheduled load-out date next February. The heavy lift vessel Blue Marlin is expected to be available at that time.

The deck and base sections of the WHP are complete and assembled. The platform tower, which will support the deck, is being erected, with the first two sections, including the well bay, having been installed.

The subsequent five sections of the tower would be progressively assembled over the coming weeks, Horizon said.