BHP, BG awarded deepwater blocks offshore Trinidad and Tobago

Aug. 5, 2014
Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs has awarded two deepwater blocks to a consortium of BHP Billiton Petroleum (International Exploration) Pty. Ltd. and BG International Ltd. The ministry reported that the companies had been awarded Blocks TTDAA 3 and TTDAA 7 as part of its 2013 bid round.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs has awarded two deepwater blocks to a consortium of BHP Billiton Petroleum (International Exploration) Pty. Ltd. and BG International Ltd. The ministry reported that the companies had been awarded Blocks TTDAA 3 and TTDAA 7 as part of its 2013 bid round.

Blocks TTDAA 7 and TTDAA 3 are just east of Blocks TTDAA 5 and TTDAA 6, two other deepwater blocks acquired by BHP Billiton in 2013. BHP Billiton, which operates Angostura field offshore the island’s eastern coast, has already signed four production-sharing contracts for deepwater blocks.

Like Angostura, the deepwater blocks also are offshore the island’s eastern coast but not on the continental shelf like Angostura and are in unexplored waters.

The Trinidad and Tobago government had opened the bid round on Aug. 17, 2013, and closed it on Mar. 28. The successful bidders were announced on July 31.

The acreage offered a mix of water depths, hydrocarbon play-types, and production potential. Risk assessment in all of the blocks was facilitated by previously acquired 2D and 3D seismic data, well penetrations, and the proximity of these blocks to known hydrocarbon pools and production.

The consortium agreed to do seismic in the first phase of the project and drill two expletory wells.