The Winterfell oil discovery is planned to be developed as a subsea tieback to the Anadarko Petroleum-operated Heidelberg spar
Beacon Offshore Energy to move ahead with the development of the Winterfell oil discovery. (Credit: Zachary Theodore on Unsplash)
Beacon Offshore Energy has taken final investment decision (FID) on the Winterfell field development in the US Gulf of Mexico.
The Winterfell oil discovery, which is planned to be developed as a subsea tieback, is operated by the company’s subsidiary BOE Exploration & Production.
It was first discovered in 2021 when the Winterfell well intersected nearly 26m of net oil pay in two intervals. This was followed by drilling of the Winterfell-2 appraisal well in the following year.
The development plan involves connecting the field through a recently installed 21km long subsea tieback to the Heidelberg spar. Situated in Green Canyon Block 860, the Heidelberg spar is operated by Anadarko Petroleum.
First oil from the Winterfell field is anticipated to be achieved in early Q2 2024. From its three initial wells, the field is expected to yield gross production of around 22,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).
Beacon Offshore Energy CEO Scott Gutterman said: “The investment decision represents an important milestone for the Winterfell project and reflects our commitment to safely and efficiently develop material operated resources located in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.
“Our technical and commercial teams continue to develop solutions that provide win-win outcomes for our partners.
“At Winterfell we are unlocking the sub-salt field’s potential via the execution of horizontal drilling technology applied to open hole completions while securing access to the nearby Heidelberg spar and associated downstream infrastructure with available ullage.”
Beacon Offshore Energy has a stake of 35.41% in the Miocene aged discovery, which is located mainly in Green Canyon blocks 943, 944, 987, and 988. The water depth of the discovery is around 5,200ft.
The other stakeholders in the Winterfell discovery are Kosmos Energy (25.04%), Westlawn GOM Asset 3 (15%), Red Willow Offshore (12.5%), Alta Mar Energy (Winterfell) with 7.55% stake, and CSL Exploration (4.5%).