Hurricane Delta delays Talos Energy field start up in the US Gulf of Mexico
Australian junior Byron Energy also forced to evacuate staff and halt production
Houston-based Talos Energy has been forced to delay the start-up of its Bulleit field in the US Gulf of Mexico due to the severe weather conditions created by Hurricane Delta.
Joint venture partner Otto Energy confirmed Thursday the vessel providing support for final hookup and tie-in of the Green Canyon 21 (GC 21) “Bulleit” field had been demobilised as a safety precaution.
Based on current weather forecasts, Talos expects the vessel to return on 9 October to resume final completion activities, which are expected to take an additional three-to-four days before the well can be opened for production, with output expected to be steadily ramped up to 1000 barrels per day.
The field is being developed via a 16-kilometre subsea tie-back to the Talos-operated GC 18 Whistler platform, where production will be processed and then delivered into regional oil and gas sales pipelines
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Byron evacuates staff
News of delays to the start-up of Bulleit came as another Australian junior, Byron Energy, revealed it had evacuated staff from operated assets off Louisiana, in the Gulf of Mexico, ahead of Hurricane Delta.
Byron confirmed Thursday it had evacuated staff from its South Marsh Island blocks 71 and 58 (SM71 and SM58), with Delta forecast make landfall in south Louisiana on Friday and projected to pass the SM58 and SM71 production platforms, which have both been evacuated.
Byron also noted that production wells at both blocks had been shut-in on 6 October, while completion operations at the SM58 G2ST well had been suspended and the drilling rig evacuated.
Byron chief executive Maynard Smith noted that Hurricane Delta was the fourth storm the company has dealt with since mobilising the EOD 254 rig to SM58 in July.
“This is unprecedented in our collective careers in the Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately, we have been at a point in each well that allowed us to leave the well in a safe manner during the passage of each storm,” he added.
“Through safe, efficient work, we were able to accomplish a large part of the transition from drilling to completion operations before the evacuation. Once the storm has passed, we will be able to move right into the completion work on the SM58 G2ST when our crews return.”
Operators brace for Category 3 storm
Hurricane Delta barreled across Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday, weakening slightly, but is now tracking towards Louisiana, with the storm anticipated to reintensify to Category 3 before crossing the US coast, which is anticipated to occur on Friday.
Several operators have evacuated staff ahead of the storm’s arrival, including Shell and Chevron. BP, BHP, Occidental Petroleum and Murphy Oil, with a total of 180 platforms evacuated, as of Wednesday.
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