Inpex subsidiary Teikoku Oil (North America) has acquired an additional stake in the deepwater Lucius field, located in the US Gulf of Mexico, the company announced on 9 July 2014.
The Japanese explorer entered the Lucius partnership in 2012 after acquiring 7.2% participating interest from operator Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum. The company has boosted its stake to 7.75% following Apache Corp.'s exit. In May, Apache sold all of its interest (11.67%) in Lucius – as well as interest in Heidelberg (12.5%) and 11 primary term deepwater exploration blocks – to Freeport-McMoRan Oil and Gas for US$1.4 billion.
Inpex said in accordance with the Lucius Unit Operating Agreement (UOA), Apache opened its offer to all interest holders, and Inpex and partners opted to divide Apache's interest between the three companies by ratio of their participating interests.
The Lucius development includes portions of Keathley Canyon blocks 874, 875, 918 and 919, and is located approximately 380km southwest of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.
In 2011, Anadarko sanctioned the Lucius development, which will include six producing wells connected to truss spar, sitting in 7100ft water depth, and measuring 605ft long and 110ft in diameter. Its hull weighs 23,000tons and comes with a production capacity of 80,000bo/d and 450MMcf/d of natural gas.
The spar's hull was built in Pori, Finland, and arrived at Kiewit's Ingleside, Texas, yard in June 2013 via Dockwise's Mighty Servant I. Installation was completed in February. The topsides, fabricated at Kiewit, and weighing 15,000tons and were set in nine lifts, using Heerema's Thialf vessel. The topsides were installed in June.
First oil from Lucius is expected by 2H 2014.
Anadarko operates Lucius with 27.8% interest. its partners include Freeport-McMoran, ExxonMobil, Petrobras, and Eni.
Image: The Mighty Servant I transports the Lucius spar to the Gulf of Mexico (Photo: Anadarko).
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