By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Feb. 18 -- BP PLC has authorized McDermott International Inc. subsidiary J. Ray McDermott SA to fabricate topsides for Atlantis field's semisubmersible production facility, McDermott reported Monday.
Work on the 15,450 tonne topsides facilities will begin in August at McDermott's yard in Morgan City, La. Completion is scheduled for May 2005.
Atlantis field, a deepwater development believed to be the third largest oil and gas field yet discovered in the Gulf of Mexico, lies 125 miles south of New Orleans in the vicinity of Green Canyon Block 743 in 6,500 ft of water (OGJ Online, Feb. 11, 2003). The field will be developed using the moored semisubmersible, which will have a gross design capacity of 150,000 b/d of oil and 180 MMcfd of natural gas.
The Atlantis topsides are the fourth in the series of topsides that McDermott will fabricate for BP under a $600 million contract that gives BP exclusive use of McDermott's Morgan City facility during a significant portion of the construction period.
"We are pleased that the Atlantis project has been sanctioned and look forward to contributing to the success of BP's deepwater developments," said Rickey Oehrlein, executive vice-president of J. Ray McDermott's Western Hemisphere operations. "As a result of the recent fabrication work performed for BP on the Holstein, Thunder Horse, and Mad Dog topsides, we have developed an excellent working relationship with BP," Oehrlein added.
BP holds a 56% ownership interest in Atlantis, and Melbourne-based BHP Billiton Ltd. holds the other 44%.
