Australian producer BHP-Billiton has removed all personnel from its Neptune tension leg platform (TLP) in the deep-water US Gulf after inspections discovered ‘anomalies’ in the facility’s hull.
According to BHP spokesperson Teresa Wong, visual inspections being conducted in advance of planned start of production from the Green Canyon block 613 platform found the ‘anomalies’, which she added have not been fully defined. The facility is located in about 4250 feet of water. As a safety measure, BHP pulled the project personnel working on commissioning of the SBM-Atlantia-designed mono-column TLP while additional surveys are being undertaken to discover the source and nature of the ‘anomalies’. A number of teams are working at the facility to determine the next course of action. BHP hopes to know more about the situation early next week. The 5900-ton hull of the Neptune TLP was built at the Port Arthur, Texas, facility of Signal International. The project was the first of its kind for the fabrication yard. The $1.1 billion Neptune project has been a source of cost overruns and delays, and was most recently due to come on stream during the first quarter. BHP-Billiton operates Neptune with a 35% working interest. Partners in the development are Marathon Oil (30%), Woodside Petroleum (20%) and Repsol (15%).
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