BP starts up latest Thunder Horse expansion project in the deepwater GoM

Offshore staff

HOUSTON– BP has started up the Thunder Horse Northwest Expansion project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, four months ahead of schedule and 15% under budget.

Originally planned for start-up in early 2019, the project adds a new subsea manifold and two wells tied into existing flowlines 2 mi (3.2 km) north of the Thunder Horse platform. First oil was achieved 16 months after being sanctioned.

The new project is expected to boost production at Thunder Horse by an estimated 30,000 boe/d at its peak, taking gross output to more than 200,000 boe/d.

“This latest expansion of Thunder Horse is another important milestone in our efforts to maximize value from our assets in the Gulf,” said Starlee Sykes, regional president of BP’s Gulf of Mexico and Canada business. “Over the past five years we’ve driven up production through safe and reliable operations and bringing on new deepwater projects in a more efficient and standardized way. All this hard work is now delivering results. Our Gulf of Mexico business is thriving.”

It comes after two other major field expansions at Thunder Horse in recent years. In 2017, an expansion ofThunder Horse’s south field – a four-well tieback to the floating hub – boosted gross production at the field by more than 50,000 boe/d. In 2016, BP started up a major water injection project at Thunder Horse to further enhance oil production at the field.

Developed with partner ExxonMobil, the Thunder Horse platform is in more than 6,000 ft (1,829 m) of water and began production in June 2008. It has the capacity to handle 250,000 b/d of oil and 200 MMcf/d of natural gas (gross).

Over the last five years, BP’s net average daily production in the Gulf of Mexico has increased from less than 200,000 boe/d in 2013 to more than 300,000 boe/d and is set to grow further with the addition of the Mad Dog Phase 2 platform in 2021 and other upcoming projects.

10/18/2018