Atlantis Oil Field

The Atlantis oil field has estimated ultimate reserves of about {{convert|600|Moilbbl}}. The supermajor BP owns a 56% interest in the field in conjunction with Woodside Energy which owns a 44% interest.{{cite news|author=Geoff Hiscock |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2003/BUSINESS/asia/03/12/australia.bhp.biz/index.html |title=BHP to fast-track Caribbean oil |publisher=CNN |date=2003-03-13 |accessdate=2010-05-18}}

The oil field was discovered in 1998 by the Ocean America semi-submersible, mobile drilling rig operating in a water depth of {{convert|1870|m}}. The discovery was later confirmed by wells drilled by GSF C.R. Luigs and Glomar Explorer. Production started in October 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.subseaiq.com/data/Project.aspx?project_id=144 |title=Atlantis |work=SubseaIQ | publisher= Rigzone |accessdate=2010-06-17}}

The field is expected to produce about {{convert|200000|oilbbl/d}} of oil and {{convert|180|Mcuft/d|m3/d}} of gas.{{cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/09/bloomberg/bxbp.php |title=BP oil production declines for sixth consecutive quarter |newspaper=International Herald Tribune|date=2007-01-10 |accessdate=2010-05-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112070400/http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/09/bloomberg/bxbp.php |archivedate=2007-01-12}}

The Atlantis field has been developed with a semi-submersible production platform, Atlantis PQ, designed by GVA Consultants and built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea. In addition to the semi-submersible platform, field development uses a network of wet-tree subsea wells.{{cite web| url=http://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/atlantisplatform/| title=Offshore Technology - Atlantis Deepwater Oil and Gas Platform, Gulf of Mexico}}

The subsea elements of the Atlantis field were designed and fabricated by PS Fabricators. It is one of the largest to undergo systems integration testing (SIT) on land, also at PS Fabricators SIT site. This includes positioning the components as they would be positioned subsea, pressure testing, pig testing, etc. The system itself is rigorously tested to ensure its safety subsea.

On 17 May 2010, consumer group Food & Water Watch, with former BP contractor Kenneth Abbott, filed a complaint in the United States district court, seeking to stop production on the platform Atlantis PQ until safety documents are produced.{{cite news|last=Driver |first=Anna |title=U.S. Regulators Sued Over BP's Atlantis Platform |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1710274120100517?type=marketsNews |accessdate=18 May 2010 |date=2010-05-17 |agency=Reuters |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130104175332/http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1710274120100517?type=marketsNews |archivedate=2013-01-04 |location=Houston, Texas |url-status=live }}{{cite interview | subject=Michael Williams | interviewer=Scott Pelley | title=Deepwater Horizon's Blowout, Part 1 | url=http://www.cbs.com/primetime/60_minutes/video/?pid=0QTplOIQZdImAkzJqPt1LNLcjf_YDWcj&nrd=1 | type=Interview: video | work=60 Minutes | publisher=CBS | date=16 May 2010 | accessdate=18 May 2010}} The suit was dropped by the plaintiff and re-file naming BP as a defendant, as required once BP became involved.{{cite news | last=Calkins | first=Laurel | title=BP Atlantis Whistleblower Drops Suit Against U.S. | url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-18/bp-atlantis-whistleblower-drops-suit-against-u-s-over-safety.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202133656/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-18/bp-atlantis-whistleblower-drops-suit-against-u-s-over-safety.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 2, 2010 | work=Bloomberg Businessweek | accessdate=8 July 2010 | date=2010-06-18}}

According to Food & Water Watch, BP failed to supplement its document production with new information regarding Atlantis's suspension the second quarter of 2012, which caused much of the company's $3.7 billion loss in profits that quarter.{{cite press release | title= Food & Water Watch and Former BP Contractor Turned Whistleblower Notify Court of BP’s Failure to Disclose Information Critical to Atlantis Lawsuit | url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-18/bp-atlantis-whistleblower-drops-suit-against-u-s-over-safety.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202133656/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-18/bp-atlantis-whistleblower-drops-suit-against-u-s-over-safety.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 2, 2010 | publisher = Food & Water Watch | accessdate=16 August 2012 | date= 8 August 2012}}

The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion has given new impetus to a number of Congressional Representatives to pressure the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to investigate safety practices on BP's Atlantis PQ offshore platform in the Atlantis Oil Field. A whistleblower report to the MMS in March 2009 stated, "over 85 percent of the Atlantis Project's Piping and Instrument drawings lacked final engineer-approval," as legally required.{{cite web | author=Raúl M. Grijalva | url=http://grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=13&itemid=519 | title=Grijalva Calls For Investigation of Oil Drilling Safety Records as Whistleblower Suggests BP Is Operating Illegally| date=2010-05-02 | publisher=U.S. House of Representatives | accessdate=11 June 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100721002607/http://grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=13&itemid=519| archivedate= 21 July 2010 | url-status= live}} The report further stated, "the project be immediately shut down until those documents could be accounted for and independently verified."{{cite web | author=Kate Fried | url=https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/04/22-10| title=Deepwater Horizon Accident Foreshadows a Potential Disaster Waiting to Happen in the Gulf | work=Commondreams | publisher=Food & Water Watch | date=22 April 2010 | accessdate=11 June 2010}} BP and other oil industry groups wrote letters objecting to a proposed MMS rule last year that would have required stricter safety measures.{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704471204575209331720726738 | title=Documents Show BP Opposed New, Stricter Safety Rules | author=Guy Chazan | author2=Ben Casselman | work=Wall Street Journal| date=2010-04-28 | accessdate=11 June 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100503011814/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471204575209331720726738.html| archivedate= 3 May 2010 | url-status= live}} The MMS changed rules in April 2008 to exempt certain projects in the central Gulf region, allowing BP to operate in the Macondo Prospect without filing a blowout plan.{{cite news|author=Michael Kunzelmann|author2=Richard T. Piencia |title=Oil spill: BP had no 'blowout' plan |url=http://www.pnj.com/article/20100506/NEWS01/100506008 |work=Pensacola News Journal|date=6 May 2010 |agency=The Associated Press |accessdate=11 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608120121/http://www.pnj.com/article/20100506/NEWS01/100506008 |archivedate=June 8, 2010 }}

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{cite web | author= | title=Atlantis | url=http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9004519&contentId=7008067 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101215539/http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9004519&contentId=7008067 | publisher=BP plc| archivedate=2007-11-01| year=2007 | accessdate=16 May 2010}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110711014600/http://www.fmctechnologies.com/~/media/Subsea/Projects/North%20America/BP%20Atlantis_no%20change.ashx BP Atlantis PQ diagram and images] at FMC Technologies
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061010200820/http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2005/press0414.htm Atlantis - City On The Rise] - Article about the Atlantis Oil Field Project (Date: April 14, 2005)

{{BP}}

Category:Gulf of Mexico oil fields of the United States

Category:BP oil and gas fields

Category:2007 establishments in the United States

Category:Woodside Energy