
US-based oil major Chevron has announced that its revolutionary Anchor project in the deep waters of the US Gulf of Mexico has commenced the production of oil and natural gas.
The Anchor project is special because it has a floating production unit (FPU) that is semi-submersible, as well as being capable of producing up to 28 million gross cubic feet of natural gas and 75,000 barrels of oil each day.
Chevron, which makes the Texaco grease and lubricant range, believes there may be up to 440 million barrels of oil equivalent that could ultimately be recovered from the Anchor field, located in water depths of approximately 5,000 feet in the Green Canyon area, which lies some 140 miles offshore of Louisiana. The Anchor FPU will eventually have seven subsea wells tied into it.
Bruce Niemeyer, the president responsible for production and exploration in the Americas, said about the project:
“This Anchor milestone demonstrates Chevron’s ability to safely deliver projects within budget in the Gulf of Mexico. The Anchor project provides affordable, reliable, lower carbon intensity oil and natural gas to help meet energy demand, while boosting economic activity for Gulf Coast communities.”
Chevron’s executive vice president for oil, gas and products, Nigel Hearne, said that for the energy industry, the Anchor project was a notable innovation. He said the technology, which is a first for the industry, will enable resources that are difficult to access to be developed, and it will also likely trigger the wider industry into launching other high-pressure, deepwater developments.