Offshore staff
HOUSTON – The semisubmersible floating production unit (FPU) for bp’s Mad Dog 2 project in the Gulf of Mexico has departed the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea.
The Argos FPU is sailing to the Kiewit Offshore Services fabrication yard in Ingleside, Texas, onboard Boskalis’ heavy transport vessel BOKA Vanguard.
The 15,000-mi (24,140-km) voyage is expected to take more than 60 days. The FPU weighs 60,000 tons, according to bp.
While at Kiewit, Argos will undergo final preparatory work and regulatory inspections prior to heading to its ultimate home in the Green Canyon area nearly 200 mi (322 km) south of New Orleans.
Named after the loyal dog from “The Odyssey”, the Argos platform is expected to produce up to 140,000 boe/d through a subsea production system from up to 14 production wells and eight water injection wells. It will operate in 4,500 ft (1,372 m) of water and is expected to help extend the life of the super-giant Mad Dog oil field beyond 2050.
The $9-billion Mad Dog 2 project was sanctioned in early 2017 by operator bp (60.5%) and co-owners BHP (23.9%), and Union Oil Company of California, an affiliate of Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (15.6%). It is expected to start up in late 2021.
02/08/2021
