18th Dec 2007 15:00
BP PLC18 December 2007 press release December 18, 2007 BP COMMISSIONS ATLANTIS PLATFORM, BEGINS OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION HOUSTON - BP today announced that it has completed commissioning of the Atlantissemi-submersible platform in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and commenced theexport of oil and gas from the deepest moored floating oil and gas productionfacility in the world. "The water depths and reservoir structure make Atlantis among the mosttechnologically challenging developments undertaken by BP," said Andy Inglis,BP's Chief Executive of Exploration and Production. "Start-up is an importantmilestone as we grow production from our strong upstream portfolio in thedeepwater Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere in the world." Production commenced with the commissioning of wells and facilities in October2007. With gas facilities and export pipelines now fully commissioned, gas saleshave started and oil volumes are increasing. Additional wells will continue tobe brought on stream, and the facility is expected to reach plateau productionby end of calendar year 2008. BP began production operations in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico in 1995. Sincethen, the company has participated in a series of major projects, investing morethan $14 billion. "The investment we are making to deliver world class projects like Atlantis inthe deepwater Gulf of Mexico is making a major contribution to US energy supplyand US energy security," said Bob Malone, Chairman and President of BP America. BP is operator of Atlantis with 56 percent ownership. BHP Billiton has a 44 percent working interest. Note to editors: The Atlantis platform is located more than 150 miles south of New Orleans, LAin Green Canyon at a water depth of 7,070 feet (2,150 meters). Atlantis employs an integrated concept of a Production Quarters (PQ) semi-submersible platform supported by a separate dedicated semi-submersible mobileoffshore drilling unit (MODU). Oil and gas will be transported to existing shelf and onshore interconnectionsvia the Caesar oil and Cleopatra gas pipeline systems, which are part of theMardi Gras Transportation System, the highest capacity deepwater pipelinesystem ever built. BP has a 65 percent ownership interest. Major BP developments in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico include: Marlin, 2000;Horn Mountain, 2002; Na Kika, 2003; Holstein, 2004; Mad Dog, 2005 and Atlantis,2007. Thunder Horse, with a nameplate capacity of 250,000 barrels of oil and200 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, will begin production inlate 2008. Since 1995, total daily deepwater Gulf of Mexico oil production has increasedfrom 151,000 barrels of oil per day (about 2.3 per cent of US oil production)to 936,000 barrels per day (about 18 percent of US oil production.) A photo of the Atlantis production facility is available. For additional information: BP, London +44 (0)207 496 4076 BP, Houston Ronnie Chappell 281 366 5174 or 281 236 3529 Neil Chapman 281 366 7115 or 713 503 4583 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
BP