BP Marks Key Stage in $2bn Trinidad Project
BP announced April 13 start-up of its Trinidad onshore compression project (Troc), one of seven big upstream projects worldwide that it plans to bring online in 2017, which is intended to boost flagging feed gas supplies to the country's Atlantic LNG export plant.
Full start-up will take place over the next few months. When fully onstream, the new compression facility will have potential to deliver 200mn ft3/d. It is expected to enable increased production from low-pressure wells in BP Trinidad & Tobago's (BPTT) existing offshore acreage in the Columbus Basin using an additional inlet compressor at the Atlantic LNG plant at Point Fortin. It is part of a $2bn project that includes the new Juniper platform.
The onshore plant is 100% funded and owned by BPTT (owned 70% by BP and 30% by Repsol) but the Atlantic LNG joint venture (which also includes Shell) will serve as operator. The project was sanctioned in July 2016 following agreement by Atlantic LNG shareholders, state-owned National Gas Company of Trinidad & Tobago, among others.
BP upstream chief Bernard Looney said the onshore compression was delivered on-time and paves the way for Juniper to start up offshore this year.
Trinidad onshore compression project (Photo credit: BP Trinidad & Tobago)
BPTT operates 904,000 acres off Trinidad’s east coast with 13 offshore platforms and two onshore processing facilities. The 590mn ft3/d capacity offshore Juniper platform will take gas from the Corallita and Lantana fields located 50 miles off the south east coast of Trinidad in roughly 360 feet water-depth. Drilling of the five subsea Juniper wells by the Diamond Ocean Victory rig began 2015 and first gas from the facility is expected in 2017. Gas from Juniper will flow into the Mahogany B hub via a new 10 kilometre in-field flowline which was installed in 2016.
A shortfall of feed gas meant that Atlantic LNG -- which began exports in May 1999 -- supplied 10.46mn mt to world markets last year, which was 1.4mn mt (or 11.4%) less than in 2015, according to the latest report of the International LNG Importers Association (GIIGNL).
"Although start-up will be phased, we anticipate an improvement in gas production in 2017 as a result of Troc and the planned start-up of Juniper later this year," said BP Trinidad and Tobago regional president Norman Christie.
Mark Smedley