Video Tells Story of New Gulf Platform ‘Heidelberg’
Mark Green
Posted May 25, 2016
Neat video below from Anadarko – a start-to-finish look at its Heidelberg oil and natural gas platform, which started producing in January from the Green Canyon field in the Gulf of Mexico. Take a look:
Heidelberg is sister to Anadarko’s Lucius project, which we posted on here, here and here. Lucius went into production last year.
It’s a truss spar design, which essentially is a 23,000-ton steel tube, more than 600 feet tall, that floats above ocean floor anchors in 5,300 feet of water. The platform is located in the Green Canyon 859 development, about 140 miles south of Louisiana and 390 miles east of Corpus Christi, Texas. More information on Heidelberg, here.
Heidelberg and other offshore production facilities are integral to U.S. energy security. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates Gulf production will average 1.63 million barrels of oil per day (mb/d) this year and reach 1.91 mb/d by December next year, accounting for 18 percent and 21 percent of total U.S. crude oil production in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Output from Heidelberg and other platforms reflects decisions made years ago – to buy leases and to invest in exploration and development. That’s why it’s critically important for robust planning now, starting with the government’s 2017-2022 offshore oil and natural gas leasing program that’s currently being put together by federal officials.
The plan should be forward-looking. It should reflect the United States’ current world leadership in oil and gas production – so we can see production facilities like Heidelberg developed to supply America’s future energy needs.
About The Author
Mark Green joined API after a career in newspaper journalism, including 16 years as national editorial writer for The Oklahoman in the paper’s Washington bureau. Previously, Mark was a reporter, copy editor and sports editor at an assortment of newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. He and his wife Pamela have two grown children and six grandchildren.