bp lets engineering contracts for Kaskida topsides, hull

Aug. 20, 2024

Exmar, Audubon chosen to undertake work for deepwater Gulf of Mexico platform.

Audubon Engineering Co. says that it will undertake the engineering and design of the topsides facilities for bp's Kaskida FPU.

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.”

EXMAR Offshore Co. will design and engineer the Kaskida FPU hull using its patented OPTI design.

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.

About the Author

Bruce Beaubouef | Managing Editor

Bruce Beaubouef is Managing Editor for Offshore magazine. In that capacity, he plans and oversees content for the magazine; writes features on technologies and trends for the magazine; writes news updates for the website; creates and moderates topical webinars; and creates videos that focus on offshore oil and gas and renewable energies. Beaubouef has been in the oil and gas trade media for 25 years, starting out as Editor of Hart’s Pipeline Digest in 1998. From there, he went on to serve as Associate Editor for Pipe Line and Gas Industry for Gulf Publishing for four years before rejoining Hart Publications as Editor of PipeLine and Gas Technology in 2003. He joined Offshore magazine as Managing Editor in 2010, at that time owned by PennWell Corp. Beaubouef earned his Ph.D. at the University of Houston in 1997, and his dissertation was published in book form by Texas A&M University Press in September 2007 as The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: U.S. Energy Security and Oil Politics, 1975-2005.