Thunderhorse South expansion onstream

BP has started up the Thunder Horse South Expansion project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico 11 months ahead of schedule and

$150mn under budget. The project is expected to boost production at the facility by an estimated 50,000 boe/d (gross), further increasing output at what is one of the largest oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico.

‘Thunder Horse South Expansion – along with our recent approval of the $9bn Mad Dog Phase 2 platform [which is expected onstream in late 2021] – demonstrates that the US Gulf of Mexico remains a key part of our global portfolio today and for many years to come,’ said BP Chief

Executive Bob Dudley. ‘This project also marks the first of several major upstream start-ups expected before the end of this year and a major step towards our goal of adding 800,000 barrels of new production by 2020.’

The Thunder Horse South Expansion project adds a new subsea production system roughly two miles to the south of the existing Thunder Horse platform. The system is a collection point for wells connected to the Thunder Horse platform by two 11,000-foot flowlines installed on the seabed in late 2016.

BP reports that the project, in which it holds a 75% interest, was completed more than 15% below budget by relying on proven standardised equipment and technology rather than building customised components.