By Bruce Beaubouef, Managing Editor
bp has awarded contracts to advance the engineering and design of the Kaskida floating production unit (FPU), a semisubmersible platform that will be located in the Keathley Canyon area about 250 miles southwest of New Orleans.
Audubon Engineering Co. says that it will undertake the engineering and design of the Kaskida FPU topsides using its “established design philosophies” that will allow for faster cycle time. The company says that it will leverage its experience with the Delta House, King’s Quay, and Shenandoah semisubmersibles to “develop Kaskida optimally and safely.”
Meanwhile, EXMAR NV reports that its subsidiary EXMAR Offshore Co. has been selected by bp to design and engineer the Kaskida FPU hull. The hull will feature Exmar’s patented OPTI design, marking the fifth time that this hull design will be used.
In June, bp issued a letter of intent to Seatrium concerning early engineering works for the Kaskida FPU. A definitive contract was expected to follow for engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning, subject to mutually agreed terms.
Kaskida is a greenfield development 250 miles southwest of New Orleans in the Keathley Canyon area. The FPU will comprise a single topside module supported by a four-column semisubmersible hull, with subsea production wells in a water depth of about 6,000 ft. The FPU will be designed to produce 80,000 bbl/d from six wells in the first phase, with production scheduled to start in 2029.
The final investment decision for Kaskida was taken by bp in July, with the company saying that project will make possible the production of 10 Bbbl of discovered resources in place across the Kaskida and Tiber catchment areas.
