UK’s bp Takes FID On Kaskida Project in US Gulf of Mexico

bp, the UK’s oil major, on Tuesday said that it has taken a final investment decision on the Kaskida project in the US Gulf of Mexico. This demonstrates bp’s long-term commitment to deliver secure, affordable and reliable energy.

Kaskida will be bp’s sixth hub in the Gulf of Mexico, featuring a new floating production platform with the capacity to produce 80,000 barrels of crude oil per day from six wells in the first phase. Production is expected to start in 2029. 

The oil major’s other five platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are Argos, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Na Kika and Thunder Horse. bp produced around 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from the Gulf of Mexico in 2023.

The latest announcement demonstrates bp’s near-term priorities in action – moving forward a key high-value growth project and supporting its drive to deliver as a simpler, more focused, higher value company.

bp’s executive vice president of production and operations Gordon Birrell said that developing Kaskida will unlock the potential of the Paleogene in the Gulf of Mexico for bp, building on their decades of experience in the region.

“Technology has and will continue to play a pivotal role in propelling Kaskida from discovery to production. Together with the other resources we have in the Paleogene, we expect it to prove to be a world-class development. Today is a critical step in realizing its potential,” Birrell added.

Owned 100% by bp, the Kaskida field has discovered recoverable resources currently estimated at around 275 million barrels of oil equivalent from the initial phase. Additional wells could be drilled in future phases, subject to further evaluation.

The project is fully accommodated within bp’s disciplined financial framework, reflecting bp’s drive to focus on value and returns.

Potential Development

Located in the Keathley Canyon area about 250 miles southwest off the coast of New Orleans, the Kaskida project unlocks the potential future development of 10 billion barrels of discovered resources in place across the Kaskida and Tiber catchment areas.

Bp plans to leverage existing platform and subsea equipment designs that can be replicated in future projects to drive cost efficiencies across Kaskida’s construction, commissioning and operations.

Andy Krieger, bp’s senior vice president, Gulf of Mexico and Canada, said that by employing an industry-led design solution, Kaskida will be simpler to construct and simpler to operate, enhancing safety and delivering greater value for bp.

Kaskida is in a prime location, with a stable fiscal regime and access to market. It will also be bp’s first development in the Gulf of Mexico to produce from reservoirs that will require well equipment with a pressure rating of up to 20,000 pounds per square inch (20K).

Advancements in 20K drilling technology coupled with updated seismic imaging are enabling bp to safely develop Kaskida and to progress plans to develop other fields such as Tiber, which is expected to advance to a final investment decision next year.