UK oil and gas giant BP recently detailed its aim to expand operations at the offshore platform, “Atlantis”.
Among BP’s longest-running sites in the Gulf of America, the platform has produced gas and oil for close to two decades. The company’s expansion plans for Atlantis are designed to prepare it for the future so it can operate effectively for a further 20 years.
BP’s new strategy has shifted from investment in renewable energy to a focus on core interests in oil and gas to increase company revenues and appease shareholders. As part of its aims, it sold a majority stake in the Castrol Lubricant brand to US investment business Stonepeak, in a deal set to finalise by the end of this year.
The Atlantis platform is based off the coast of New Orleans in Louisiana, and has a daily production capacity of 180 million ft³ of natural gas and approximately 200,000 barrels of oil. Like all offshore platforms in the region, it needs maintenance and ongoing improvements to carry out its role in supplying America with energy.
As a result, the team at BP seeks to optimise production at Atlantis via two new projects. Expansion at Atlantis Drill Centre began production last year in December, two months earlier than planned. It connects two wells to the offshore platform, adding about 15,000 boe/d (barrels of oil equivalent per day) at peak production.
The second project is called the “Atlantis Major Facility Expansion”. The initiative is forecast to launch in 2027 and will inject water into specific reservoirs to optimise the site’s output.
