BP starts up latest Thunder Horse expansion project in the Gulf of Mexico

BP has started oil and gas production from the Thunder Horse South Expansion Phase 2 project on Mississippi Canyon block 822 in the Gulf of Mexico.

The project is south-east of the BP-operated Thunder Horse platform in 6,350 feet (1,935 metres) of water.

The initial two-well tieback is expected to increase output at Thunder Horse by 25,000 boe/d at peak. The Phase 2 project consists of two subsea drill centres operated by ten inch dual flowlines. Eventually eight wells are expected to be drilled.

Located 150 miles (241 km) south-east of New Orleans, Thunder Horse is designed to process up to 250,000 b/d of oil and 200 MMcf/d of natural gas. BP has a 75% working interest with ExxonMobil holding 25%.

Ewan Drummond, BP senior vice president, projects, production and operations said: “This project is a great example of the type of fast-payback, high-return tieback opportunities we continue to deliver as we focus and high-grade our portfolio.”

The Phase 2 start-up is part of BP’s plans to grow its Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production to around 400,000 boe/d net by the mid-2020s. The company operates four production platforms in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico: Thunder Horse, Atlantis, Mad Dog and Na Kika. A fifth platform, Argos, is expected to come online in 2022.

Thunder Horse South Expansion Phase 2 completes the company’s programme of five major project start-ups planned for 2021. Together with the early start-up of the Matapal subsea tieback project in Trinidad, BP has brought six major projects onstream this year.

Source: Offshore Magazine