BP Brings Thunder Horse South Online
Monday 23 January 2017
BP has brought online its Thunder Horse South Expansion project in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico, almost one year ahead of schedule and millions of dollars under budget.
The supermajor said on Monday that it started up the expansion project “11 months ahead of schedule and $150 million under budget”.
The expansion is expected to boost production at the facility by an estimated 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from Thunder Horse field's three main reservoirs in Mississippi Canyon Block 778.
“Thunder Horse South Expansion – along with our recent approval of the $9 billion Mad Dog Phase 2 platform - demonstrates that the US Gulf of Mexico remains a key part of our global portfolio today and for many years to come,” BP’s chief executive Bob Dudley said.
“This project also marks the first of several major upstream start-ups expected before the end of this year and a major step toward our goal of adding 800,000 barrels of new production by 2020,” Dudley said.
“The Thunder Horse south expansion project proves that deepwater can be done in a cost-effective way, while keeping a relentless focus on safety,” regional president of BP’s Gulf of Mexico business, Richard Morrison added.
The expansion of the Thunder Horse project added a new subsea production system roughly two miles to the south of the existing Thunder Horse platform.
The system is a collection point for wells connected to the Thunder Horse platform by two 11,000-foot flowlines installed on the seabed in late 2016.
The facility continued to operate during construction and installation of the new subsea production and pipeline system.
Last year, BP started up a water injection project at Thunder Horse aiming to produce 65 million additional barrels from the development.
The Thunder Horse platform, which in more than 6000 feet of water and began production in June 2008. It has the capacity to handle 250,000 barrels of oil and 200 million cubic feet per day of natural gas.
The project is operated by BP with a 75% working interest. ExxonMobil is a partner with a 25% working interest.