Murphy opens Medusa design competition

Sept. 28, 2000
Murphy Exploration & Production Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corp. said Wednesday it had begun a front-end engineering design competition for a spar-type floating production system to be used on its natural gas Medusa project.


Murphy Exploration & Production Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corp. said Wednesday it had begun a front-end engineering design competition for a spar-type floating production system to be used on its natural gas Medusa project.

The scope of the assignment includes the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of facilities to be used on location in 2,100 ft of water on Mississippi Canyon Blocks 538 and 582 in the Gulf of Mexico.

The discovery well was drilled last year to 16,241 ft measured depth and cut two intervals with more than 120 ft of total pay (OGJ, Oct. 11, 1999, p. 47).

Three companies have signed contracts to participate in the competition: Houston-based Aker Maritime Inc.; Houston-based SparTEC Inc., a subsidiary of J. Ray McDermott SA; and Houma, La.-based Gulf Island MinDOC LLC. They will be required to provide proposals that include engineering, development, detailed design, analysis work, bid preparation, costs, execution planning, and project management.

Murphy said the competition is part of its ongoing Medusa project presanction activity. Once the proposals have been submitted, the company will evaluate them.

Murphy operates Medusa with 60% working interest; Agip Petroleum Co. Inc., an affiliate of Italian company Eni SPA, holds 25%; and Callon Petroleum Co., 15%.