Natural gas from deep-water wells in the Gulf of Mexico is piped to shore after initial separation from the oil and brine produced.
Natural gas is flared when there is no economic method of delivering the gas to market.
As an example, the Perdido hub will produce 100,000 barrels of oil per day, and 200 million cubic feet per day of natural gas, when it reaches full-capacity.
Shell, with a 35% interest, acting as Operating Partner for Chevron (37.5%) and BP (27.5%), announced first oil and natural gas production from Perdido March 2010.
Sitting 250 miles south of Houston, in a water depth of 8,000 feet (BP Deepwater Horizon 5,000 feet) Perdido produces from the Great White, Silvertip and Tobago fields.
Because of the low pressure and temperature of these fields, Perdido has an innovative subsea separation system which lowers back pressure on the wells by about 2,000 psi.
The fields are situated on the Perdido fold belt, offshore in the deep northwestern section of the Alaminos Canyon outer continental shelf area. Five wells were brought on stream from the Great White field, which is likely to yield about 80% of Perdido's total production. The partners plan additional wells at a later date, to be determined in part by the fallout from the BP catastrophe.
 |
