BP Exploration Inc. late last month finished installing the jacket and deck of the Gulf of Mexico's second tallest fixed platform.
The 1,565 ft tall, 40 slot platform on BP's five tract Pompano oil and gas development project rests in 1,290 ft of water on Viosca Knoll Block 989, about 120 miles southeast of New Orleans. The gulf's only taller fixed platform is Shell Offshore Inc.'s 1,365 ft tall Bullwinkle structure in 1,353 ft of water on Green Canyon Block 65, 150 miles south-southwest of New Orleans.
BP's Pompano unit covers Viosca Knoll Blocks 989 and 990 and Mississippi Canyon Blocks 27, 28, and 72.
Pompano Phase 1 production is to begin in the fourth quarter from 10 wells predrilled through a subsea template on Viosca Knoll 989.
Production equipment on Pompano platform's topsides is designed to handle 40,000 b/d of oil, 50 MMcfd of gas, and 40,000 b/d of produced water. Included is equipment capable of reinjecting as much as 60,000 b/d of fluid.
Phase 1 components include the 10 predrilled wells, fabrication and installation of Pompano A template and platform jacket and deck, and two subsea oil and gas pipelines.
POMPANO OVERVIEW
BP predrilled the first 10 Pompano wells through the A template on Viosca Knoll 989. The 37,000 ton Pompano jacket was launched from Port Aransas, Tex., in July. Plans call for BP to begin completing the 10 predrilled wells this month.
Pompano oil is to flow by subsea pipeline to a tie-in with Shell's gathering system on South Pass Block 62. Pompano gas will move to a fie-in with Southern Natural Gas Co.'s gas pipeline system, also on Block 62.
BP is carrying out Pompano Phase 2 work.
In Phase 2, BP will install the B template in about 1,800 ft of water on Mississippi Canyon 28, through which it will drill and complete 10 more wells. BP will produce Block 28 wells into the B template manifold, then ship the gas and fluids 4-4 1/2 miles in multiphase flow through subsea pipelines to Pompano's Block 989 platform. At the Pompano platform, Block 28 production is to be separated by Phase 1 facilities for transport to the Shell and Sonat pipeline interconnects on South Pass 62.
Pompano Phase 2 production is to begin in early 1996.
POMPANO BACKGROUND
BP began acquiring the tracts making up its Pompano project more than a decade ago and spudded the first Pompano wildcat in March 1985.
A document spelling out plans for the Pompano platform and template production facilities on Viosca Knoll 989 and Mississippi Canyon 28 was filed with the Minerals Management Service in May 1992.
BP to date has drilled 25 wells on the five tract unit, including 13 exploratory and 12 development holes. Eight of the holes have been plugged and the leases are on suspension, pending Phase 1 production start-up.
BP acquired Viosca Knoll 989 and 990 in April 1984 with bids of $2.568 million and $4.378 million, respectively, at MMS Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale 81 in the Central Gulf of Mexico. MMS assigned the leases in June 1984, and BP spudded wells on both tracts the following year.
BP assembled Pompano's Mississippi Canyon area acreage with these bids at a series of MMS lease sales in the central gulf:
- $2.105 million for Block 27 in April 1985 at OCS Sale 98. MMS granted the lease in July 1985, and BP spudded its first well on the tract in November 1988.
- $928,000 for Block 72 in April 1986 at OCS Sale 104. MMS granted the lease in June 1986, and BP spudded the tract's only well to date in February 1990.
- $13.513 million for Block 28 in March 1988 at OCS Sale 113. MMS granted the lease in June 1988, and BP spudded the first well in December 1988.
BP last month let a contract to Cooper Oil Tool division of Cooper Industries Inc., Houston, for 10 subsea, 5,000 psi Christmas trees. The trees, which Cooper is to begin delivering in second quarter 1995, are for Pompano Phase 2 development.
Copyright 1994 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
