Project Profile
Value: Undisclosed
Location: 15 miles from the Marlin TLP, Mississippi Canyon 84, offshore Louisiana, USA
Reserves: Unknown
Production: 27,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day (peak in 2004)
Water Depth: 5,500 feet
Start-up Year: -
In water depths of 5,500 feet, King field is in water almost twice as deep as any previous installation of multi-phase pumps. It is positioned more than 15 miles from the Marlin TLP well over twice the previous record distance from a host platform of six miles. The field is situated in Mississippi Canyon 84. BP serves as the operator and owns 100% of its interests.
King\'s two pumps enhance production from the field by an average of 20%. After its 2002 start-up, King reached peak production in 2004, with production averaging 27,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day. King field together with Nile and Marlin are subsea fields that tie-back to the Marlin TLP.
The Marlin Tension Leg Platform is located 75 miles offshore Louisiana in Viosca Knoll Blocks 871 and 915 in 3,281 feet of water (1,000 metres) The TLP is designed to produce 250 MMcf/d and 40,000 bpd. BP, the operator, owns 75% interest and Shell owns the remainder 25%. The project totalled US$500 million, making it one of BP’s most expensive offshore investments to date.
BP sold four fields connected to the Marlin hub, including King, for US$560 million in 2012 to Plains Exploration & Production, itself later purchased by global conglomerate Freeport-McRoRan. Freeport-McMoRan later sold the Marlin hub fields, including King, to Anadarko in 2016 for US$2 billion cash and contingency payments worth up to US$150 million. Anadarko expects the four fields to add 80,000 boepd net to its production portfolio, of which more than 80% is oil.
Operators:
Anadarko Petroleum: Operator with 100% interest