Manuel is a new subsea development project located in 6,625ft of water on Mississippi Canyon block 520, east of the Na Kika platform in the US Gulf of Mexico.
The new project for oil production is operated by BP along with its partner Shell, with each holding a 50% working interest in the project.
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BP’s investment in the Manuel project is a part of its aim to add 900,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) to the production capacity from new projects by the end of 2021. The first production from the Manuel project began in June 2021.
Manuel project discovery and development
BP confirmed the presence of oil in the Manuel prospect after the discovery of well-encountered oil pay in high-quality Miocene sandstone reservoirs.
The deep-water project was developed with two new wells drilled to a depth of approximately 21,000ft and the installation of a new subsea production system tied back to the Na Kika platform. The new wells are located south-east of the Na Kika platform, approximately 225.3km offshore New Orleans.
Approximately 8km-long, 8in/12in electrically heated traced flowline (EHTF) pipeline was laid at a water depth of 1,900m for the tie-back in 2020. The project also involved the installation of a steel catenary riser and associated subsea structures.
The two new wells are expected to increase the production capacity of the Na Kika platform by approximately 20,100boed.
Na Kika platform details
The BP-operated Na Kika semi-submersible platform is a floating production facility located at a water depth of 6,340ft in the Gulf of Mexico. It serves multiple fields across the Mississippi Canyon blocks 474, 429, 657, 607, 522, 520 and 383.
With a main deck area of 70,225ft², the Na Kika platform is designed to process up to 130,000 barrels of oil and 550 million cubic feet of natural gas a day.
The Na Kika project was developed in phases. The production from the first phase of the oil and gas field began in 2003 while the production from the Na Kika phase three began in February 2014.
The phase three project included two new wells and the addition of subsea infrastructure tieback to the Na Kika platform. BP also installed new equipment to increase the production from an existing onsite well. The new wells increased the production capacity at the Na Kika complex.
The Na Kika platform is connected to the BP-operated Mardi Gras transportation system.
Contractors involved in Manuel project
Subsea 7, an offshore energy service company based in the UK, was awarded a subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) contract by BP for the Manuel project in December 2018.
The project was executed by Subsea Integration Alliance (SIA), a partnership between Subsea 7 and subsea technology provider OneSubsea Schlumberger.
BP’s Gulf of Mexico portfolio
BP operates four production platforms, including Thunder Horse, Atlantis, Mad Dog and Na Kika in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico. The fifth platform, Argos, is expected to come online in 2022.
The company has been the largest investor in the Gulf of Mexico for more than a decade. With multi-billion investment programmes currently underway, BP is among the biggest acreage holders in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico with a portfolio of about 200 leases.
BP is also involved in significant exploration and appraisal activities within the US offshore region. It is expected to continue investment in its non-operated production sites, including Ursa, Mars and Great White.
The net production of the company in the Gulf of Mexico has increased by over 60% to more than 300,000boed during the last five years.
BP’s production is expected to reach approximately 400,000boed by 2025.
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