El Paso Energy will build pipeline to deepwater Medusa discovery

Oct. 17, 2001
An El Paso Energy Partners LP subsidiary will install a natural gas pipeline from the terminus of its Viosca Knoll Gathering System at South Pass Block 55 to the deepwater Medusa discovery in Mississippi Canyon Block 582 in the Gulf of Mexico.

By the OGJ Online Staff

HOUSTON, Oct. 17 -- A subsidiary of El Paso Energy Partners LP, Houston, will install a natural gas pipeline from the terminus of its Viosca Knoll Gathering System at South Pass Block 55 to the deepwater Medusa discovery in Mississippi Canyon Block 582 in the Gulf of Mexico.

Located 60 miles off Louisiana, the 12-in. line will extend 37 miles into the deepwater trend in water depths to 2,200 ft. It will have the capacity to transport 160 MMcfd into the gathering system. From there the gas will move into El Paso Corp.'s Tennessee Pipeline system.

Construction is scheduled to begin next spring with first production from the Medusa development anticipated in the fourth quarter.

"The pipeline will be strategically positioned to serve future discoveries in the surrounding area. This investment illustrates our focus on meeting the demand for pipeline infrastructure to accelerate the development of new energy supplies from the deepwater trend in the gulf," said James Lytal, president of El Paso Energy Partners.

VK Deepwater Gathering Co. LLC is the subsidiary that signed the letter of intent with the three Medusa partners. They include Murphy Exploration & Production Co., a subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corp.; British-Borneo Deepwater LLC, owned by Agip Petroleum Co. Inc., a member of the Eni Group; and Callon Petroleum Operating Co., a subsidiary of Callon Petroleum Co.

Since late 1999, El Paso Energy Partners has completed a number of deepwater projects, including the Allegheny Oil Pipeline and the East Breaks Gathering System. The company also assumed operation of the Poseidon Oil Pipeline System and acted as project manager for construction of oil and gas export pipelines for Typhoon field.