GulfTerra and Cal Dive installation of Marco Polo TLP
Posted: 23 January 2004
GulfTerra Energy Partners, L. P. and Cal Dive International, Inc
announced the Marco Polo Tension Leg Platform (TLP) was successfully
installed in Green Canyon Block 608.
The platform was installed in 4,300 feet of water approximately
160 miles south of New Orleans. In June 2002, GulfTerra and Cal
Dive formed a 50/50 venture, Deepwater Gateway, L.L.C., to construct,
install, and own the Marco Polo TLP to process production from Anadarko
Petroleum Corporation's Marco Polo field discovery at Green Canyon
Block 608.
Anadarko required 50,000 barrels of oil per day and 150 million
feet per day of processing capacity for Marco Polo. The Marco Polo
TLP was designed to process 120,000 barrels of oil per day and 300
million cubic feet per day and payload and space for up to six subsea
tie backs. A portion of the additional capacity will be utilized
by Anadarko's recently announced Green Canyon Block 518 discovery,
and the remaining capacity is expected to be utilized by other recently
announced discoveries in the area of the Marco Polo TLP.
The Marco Polo TLP construction was managed by an integrated project
team comprised of GulfTerra, Cal Dive, and Anadarko personnel. The
Marco Polo TLP consists of two primary segments, namely the hull
and the deck. The platform has a displacement of 27,500 tons; a
hull weight of 5,750 tons; and a payload of 14,000 tons.
The deck and facilities, which were constructed in Ingleside, TX,
include a three-level, 65,000-square-foot deck with a capacity to
accommodate a 1,200-horsepower work-over or completion rig that
will be used to install six dual-casing production risers for the
Marco Polo field development.
The hull was fabricated in South Korea and arrived in Corpus Christi,
Texas in August 2003, and Deepwater Gateway's installation contractor,
Heerema, commenced the installation of the piles, tendons, hull,
and deck in November 2003. Deepwater Gateway expects to turn over
operation of the Marco Polo TLP to Anadarko in the first half of
February at which time Anadarko plans to commence installation of
the work-over rig to install the production risers and complete
the wells.
GulfTerra's new pre-installed 36-mile, 14-inch diameter oil pipeline
and 75-mile, 18- to 20-inch diameter natural gas pipeline will gather
production to be processed on the Marco Polo TLP. These new pipelines
will be connected subsea to GulfTerra's Allegheny oil pipeline and
Typhoon natural gas pipeline via existing deepwater diverless connections
in the first quarter of 2004 using Cal Dive's equipment and expertise.
"We are excited about the role of GulfTerra and Cal Dive as
developers for this record-setting midstream project installed in
the Gulf of Mexico as the world's deepest tension leg platform,"
said Bob Phillips, chairman and chief executive officer of GulfTerra
Energy Partners. "The installation of the Marco Polo platform
evidences our strong commitment to building critical infrastructure
for the development of new energy supplies from the Deepwater Trend.
Importantly, this facility was installed in less than two years
after project sanction and the execution of the definitive agreements
with our customer, Anadarko, which demonstrates our ability to assist
Deepwater producers with the timely and economic development of
new fields that are vitally important to meeting the nation's energy
needs."
Martin Ferron, president and chief operating officer of Cal Dive
International stated, "We are delighted to be GulfTerra's partner
in this very successful and record setting Deepwater Gateway venture.
Now that the TLP is in place we can focus entirely on bringing incremental
production to the facility. The large production capacity, built
into the TLP, will allow Anadarko and other Deepwater producers
to tie back surrounding reservoirs in a very cost effective and
timely manner."
GulfTerra Energy Partners, L.P. is one of the largest publicly
traded master limited partnerships with interests in a diversified
set of midstream assets located both offshore and onshore.
Offshore, the partnership operates natural gas and oil pipelines
and platforms and is an industry leader in the development of midstream
infrastructure in the Deepwater Trend of the Gulf of Mexico. Onshore,
GulfTerra is a leading operator of intrastate natural gas pipelines,
natural gas gathering and processing facilities, natural gas liquids
transportation and fractionation assets, and salt dome natural gas
and natural gas liquids storage facilities.
Visit GulfTerra Energy Partners on the web at www.gulfterra.com.
Cal Dive International, Inc. headquartered in Houston, TX, is an
energy service company specializing in well operations and subsea
construction. CDI operates a fleet of technically advanced marine
construction vessels and conducts salvage operations in the Gulf
of Mexico. Energy Resource Technology, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary,
acquires and operates mature and non-core offshore oil and gas properties.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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