Devils Tower (MC773) - Kosmos

Location

The Devils Tower field is situated in the Mississippi Canyon protraction area of the Central Gulf of Mexico, specifically in blocks MC 772 and MC 773.

Water Depth and Facility

The field is located in ultra-deepwater, with a water depth of approximately 5,610 feet (1,710 meters).

Facility Description

The production facility at Devils Tower is a truss-type spar, which holds the record for being the world's deepest dry-tree spar until 2010. The spar is 586 feet in length and 94 feet in diameter, weighing over 11,000 tons. The topsides weigh over 9,300 tons.

Ownership and Operation

The spar facility is owned by Williams, but it is operated by Eni. Eni acquired the field as part of its purchase of Dominion's Gulf of Mexico assets in 2007. Initially, Dominion operated the field with a 75% working interest, and Pioneer held the remaining 25%. Pioneer later sold its stake to Marubeni in 2006.

Production

Production at Devils Tower began in May 2004. The field has eight dry-tree wells and the capacity to handle 60,000 barrels of oil and 110 million cubic feet of gas per day. The field also serves as a central hub for satellite fields, including Triton and Goldfinger, which are tied back to the Devils Tower spar via subsea wells and flowlines.

Reserves and Production History

The estimated reserves of the Devils Tower field range between 80 million and 150 million barrels of oil equivalent. Peak production was achieved in 2006, and based on economic assumptions, production is expected to continue until the field reaches its economic limit in 2027. As of the latest data, the field has recovered approximately 98.13% of its total recoverable reserves.

Contractors and Development

The development of the Devils Tower field was formally sanctioned in June 2001. J. Ray McDermott was the general contractor and overall project manager for the design, engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation, and commissioning of the facility. Other key contractors included Coflexip Stena Offshore for the export pipelines, FMC Technologies for the surface wellhead and tree systems, and Emerson for engineering, control, and safety systems.

History

• 1999: The Devils Tower Oil And Gas Field was discovered.
• 2001: Development of the field was formally sanctioned.
• 2002: Successful development drilling program announced.
• 2004: Production started at the MC 773 A-1 well.
• 2005: Production began at the satellite Triton Goldfinger Gas Field, though delayed due to Hurricane Katrina.
• 2006: Marubeni acquired Pioneer's stake.
• 2007: Eni completed the acquisition of Dominion's assets in the Gulf of Mexico.

Transportation

Gas from the Devils Tower field is transported via the Canyon Chief Natural Gas Pipeline to the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (TRANSCO).