American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has secured a contract from BP to provide classification and engineering verification services for the semisubmersible production unit that will be deployed at Kaskida project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
ABS will act as the Certified Verification Agent (CVA) for the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), a role ABS has performed for a majority of the floating production units operating in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
BO has also contracted ABS to be the independent third party (I3P) verifier for high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) subsea equipment and technology as required by BSEE.
In addition, ABS will act on behalf of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to inspect and approve the design, construction, installation, and equipment.
“ABS is the recognized class leader in offshore exploration and in the Gulf of Mexico - we have decades of experience classing complex semisubmersible production platforms. But this project goes beyond classification. We are also providing numerous other services related to engineering review and verification, expanding our portfolio of high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) projects,” said Miguel Hernandez, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Offshore.
In July 2024, BP made a final investment decision on the Kaskida project, with the oil production expected to start in 2029.
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.
In August, BP selected Exmar Offshore and Audubon Engineering Company to complete engineering and design of a floating production unit (FPU) for the Kaskida development.
Engineering work for the Kaskida FPU is already underway. Singapore's Seatrium had previously been selected to carry out early engineering work.