Thunder Horse (MC778) - BP

Thunder Horse (MC778) Oil and Gas Field Profile

Location

The Thunder Horse oil and gas field is located in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 150 miles (240 km) southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is situated in the Mississippi Canyon area, specifically in blocks MC 778, MC 776, MC 777, MC 821, and MC 822, at water depths exceeding 6,000 feet (1,829 meters).

Ownership and Operation

The Thunder Horse field is operated by British Petroleum (BP) with a 75% ownership stake, while ExxonMobil holds the remaining 25%.

Discovery and Development

• The initial discovery well was drilled in 1999 on Mississippi Canyon block 778 to a depth of 25,770 feet (7,850 meters), encountering three intervals of oil.
• A second well was drilled in block 822 in November 2000, reaching a depth of 29,000 feet (8,800 meters) and also encountering three primary intervals of oil.
• In February 2001, a new field known as Thunder Horse North was discovered in block 776, approximately 5 miles northwest of the original field, at a depth of 26,000 feet (7,900 meters).

Production

• The field began production on June 14, 2008, after significant delays due to repairs and replacements in the subsea system.
• The field has a peak production capacity of 250,000 barrels of oil per day (b/d) and 200 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d) of natural gas.
• By March 2009, the field was producing close to its capacity from seven wells. However, production declined to around 175,000 b/d by January 2010.
• As of January 2022, the field was producing approximately 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) following various expansion projects.

Expansion Projects

• Thunder Horse South Expansion: This project, which came online in January 2017, involved the drilling of four production wells and the installation of a 3.25 km-long dual-flowline system, increasing production by 50,000 b/d.
• Thunder Horse Northwest Expansion: Achieved first oil in October 2018, adding two production wells and a two-slot subsea manifold, increasing production by 30,000 b/d.
• Thunder Horse South Expansion Phase 2: Approved in May 2019 and brought online in September 2021, this phase included eight new wells and two new subsea production systems, expected to increase output by 25,000 boe/d.

Infrastructure

• The field is developed using a semi-submersible production drilling quarters (PDQ) platform, which is the largest moored semi-submersible production oil platform in the world. The platform was constructed by Daewoo Shipbuilding in South Korea and completed at Kiewit Offshore Services in Ingleside, Texas.
• The platform has a hull weighing over 60,000 tonnes and displacing 129,000 tonnes, with four columns connected by 11.5-meter pontoons. It is designed to process high-pressure, high-temperature (HP/HT) well streams, export oil and gas, and handle produced water and seawater injection for reservoir support.

Reserves

• The Thunder Horse field is estimated to hold over 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe). As of 2019, the remaining reserves were estimated at 245.4 million barrels of oil and 5,068.67 million cubic meters of gas.

Transportation

• The oil and gas produced are transported via the Proteus and Endymion oil pipeline systems and the Okeanos gas pipeline system, which are part of the Mardi Gras Transportation System. BP has a significant equity interest in these pipeline systems.

Challenges and Impact

• The development of the Thunder Horse field was a major technological challenge due to the extreme depths and pressures involved. The project faced delays and setbacks, including damage from Hurricane Dennis in 2005 and the impact of the Macondo oil spill in 2010.

Current Status

• The Thunder Horse field continues to be one of the largest and most significant deepwater oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico. BP aims to maintain high production levels from this field as part of its strategy to deliver high-margin, resilient barrels in the region.