INPEX Americas Inc., a subsidiary of Japan’s INPEX Corp., has transferred its 10.11% interest in Occidental Petroleum-operated deepwater Gulf of Mexico fields Lucius and Hadrian North to project partners Anadarko US Offshore LLC (an Occidental subsidiary), Murphy Exploration & Production Co., and Eni Petroleum US LLC.
Lucius lies 380 km offshore Louisiana in Keathley Canyon Blocks 874, 875, 918, and 919 in water depth of 2,200 m. The field lies 240 miles south of Louisiana’s coast and contains thick reservoir sands with good porosity and permeability and is estimated to contain more than 300 MMboe reserves. INPEX joined the project in June 2012.
Subsea tieback drilling at Lucius #10 and Lucius #4 (Keathley Canyon 918, 919) is planned for this year’s third quarter and expected online in the fourth quarter, according to an Aug. 4 investor presentation released by Murphy. In it, the partner noted a signed agreement to acquire an additional 3.4% working interest in Lucius field for $77 million after adjustments.
Hadrian North, in the vicinity of Lucius in Keathley Canyon Blocks 918 and 919, was unitized with Lucius in 2017. The field has been developed as a subsea tieback to Lucius. Production of crude oil and natural gas at Hadrian North began in April 2019.
The company had increased its interest in the fields in February 2021 (OGJ Online, Feb. 3, 2021).
Crude oil and natural gas from the two fields are processed at an offshore floating production platform with capacity to process over 80,000 bo/d and 450 MMscfd of natural gas, shipped to a plant onshore Louisiana via subsea pipelines.