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

Tanker Pacific Management, also Singapore-headquartered, will operate the Raroa for the Maari partners for up to 15 years. Offshore Marine Services New Zealand has the manning contract for the Raroa and has already appointed most of the 50 people needed to run the FPSO.

Minority partner Horizon Oil said late last month that the $US457 million ($A500 million) project was about 59% complete.

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.

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, in Lumut, Malaysia, remained the most challenging aspect of the development project and the focus continued on meeting the scheduled load-out date next February.

The heavy lift vessel Blue Marlin is expected to be available at that time.

The platform tower, which will support the deck, was being progressively assembled and erected, Horizon said.

First Maari crude is still expected next August, but this depends on the availability of the Ensco 107 jack-up rig, which is working on the nearby Kupe gas and condensate project.

The Maari partners are operator OMV (69%), Todd Energy (16%), Horizon Oil (10%) and Cue Energy Resources (5%).