US Gulf Lucius oil field hits capacity

OREANDA-NEWS. July 28, 2015. The 80,000 b/d Lucius project in the deepwater US Gulf of Mexico — one of a number of developments to come on stream in the region in recent months — reached its oil production capacity in the second quarter.

The Lucius spar platform, which has a capacity to process 80,000 b/d of liquids and 450mn ft?/d of gas, started up in January.

The six-well Lucius oil field takes up most of the platform's capacity but the facility has also been processing output from the ExxonMobil-operated Hadrian South gas field since March. ExxonMobil expects the two-well Hadrian South development to contribute 300mn ft?/d of gas and 3,000 b/d of liquids.

US independent Anadarko operates the Lucius project with a 24pc stake. Its partners are ExxonMobil, US firm Freeport McMoran, Italy's Eni, Brazil's state-controlled Petrobras and Japanese company Inpex. ExxonMobil operates Hadrian South alongside Eni and Petrobras.

Other recent deepwater start-ups in the US Gulf include US firm Hess' Tubular Bells project and Chevron's Jack-St Malo development late last year.

Chevron had hoped to add to its US Gulf deepwater production later this year with the start-up of its Big Foot field. But a technical mishap has led to a delay. Nine out of 16 tendons meant to tether the Big Foot tension-leg platform to the ocean floor sank in May-June, prompting Chevron to move the platform to sheltered waters.