Field/project development

BP Starts Producing From Manuel Subsea Field in US Gulf

The new field, which is tied back to the Na Kika platform, is expected to add over 20,000 B/D of new production at peak.

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The Manuel field is a two-well development tied back to the Na Kika platform.

BP has begun production from its two-well Manuel subsea development in the Mississippi Canyon area of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The wells, located in Block 520, are tied back to the Na Kika floating production system to the west. The wells are expected to boost gross platform production by an estimated 20,100 B/D of oil equivalent.

“Our disciplined investment in Manuel is part of our target to add 900,000 B/D of production from new projects by the end of 2021,” said Ewan Drummond, BP’s senior vice president of projects, production, and operations. “The safe production of resilient hydrocarbons in the basins we know best is core to advancing our strategy to transform into an integrated energy company.”

The BP-operated wells, drilled to a depth of approximately 21,000 ft, are about 140 miles off the coast of New Orleans in over 6,600 ft of water. BP and Shell each hold a 50% working interest in the Manuel development.

BP anticipates growth in its production in the US Gulf of Mexico to more than 400,000 B/D of oil equivalent by the mid-2020s, through both smaller projects such as Manuel and legacy start-ups such as the Argos platform destined for the Mad Dog Phase 2 development next year.

The BP-operated Na Kika platform began production in 2003 and is in Mississippi Canyon Block 474 in about 6,350 ft of water. The host platform produces oil and gas from several subsea developments in the area.