Bp Exploration Production Inc News

Transocean Ltd. announced that it has reached two separate settlement agreements, with the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee (the "PSC") and with BP Exploration & Production Inc. and BP America Production Co. ("BP"). These settlements together resolve substantially all outstanding claims against Transocean arising from the April 20, 2010, Macondo Well incident involving the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. Under the terms of the agreement with the PSC, which is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (the "Court"), Transocean will pay two classes of plaintiffs, represented by the PSC, a total of  approximately $212 million. Transocean will also pay attorneys' fees to be determined by the Court.

Technip was awarded by BP Exploration & Production Inc. a lump sum project for the design, engineering, fabrication, installation and pre-commissioning of the new production pipeline systems on the south side of the Thunder Horse production drilling quarters unit. At a water depth of approximately 1,900 meters, the current field development is located in Mississippi Canyon Blocks 778 and 822, in the ultra-deepwater Gulf of Mexico environment.  Pre-commissioning and testing. Technip will leverage its unique integrated approach in the subsea business. Technip's operating center in Houston, Texas, USA, will perform the overall project management. The infield flowlines will be welded at the Group’s spoolbase in Mobile, Alabama, USA.

Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Børs: SUBC) today announced the award of a three-year US$160 million contract extension by BP Exploration & Production Inc. for light subsea construction, inspection, repair and maintenance services in the US Gulf of Mexico. The contract will run from the second quarter 2014 to the third quarter 2017. The scope covers the provision of two vessels, including a dedicated vessel on a full-time basis, associated project management and engineering support, ROV-based inspection and intervention, and light construction work. One of the vessels to be utilised in the contract is a new-build offshore subsea construction vessel while the other is a light construction vessel. Both vessels will be chartered on a long-term basis.

Technip was awarded a front end engineering design (FEED) contract by BP Exploration & Production Inc. This contract covers the design of a Spar* hull and mooring systems for the Mad Dog Phase 2 Project, located  near Green Canyon Block 825 in the Gulf of Mexico. This first award comes under the framework of the 10-year Spar platform master services agreement signed in 2011. The Mad Dog Phase 2 Spar will be located near the first Mad Dog Spar delivered by Technip for BP in 2004, and installed on Green Canyon 782. Detailed engineering for the new Spar is scheduled to start during the second half of 2012. Technip’s operating center in Houston, Texas, will execute the contract with support from the center in Pori, Finland.

Ezra promotes key executives to anchor Group’s global strategy. Both industry veterans have assumed their new roles from 1 January 2012. Industry veteran Captain Adarash Kumar will become Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Group level to spearhead Ezra‟s burgeoning international operations. He has been with the Group since its listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited in 2003, forming part of the core team that has worked to transform Ezra to a leading provider of offshore O&G support services globally that it is today. Captain Kumar, 51, has served in the marine industry for more than 25 years and has been an executive director of Ezra since 24 March 2003.

Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Børs: SUBC) announced the award of a three year Life-of-Field Contract by BP Exploration & Production Inc. The contract will cover the provision of two vessels, including a dedicated vessel on full time basis, and associated project management and engineering support, for ROV based inspection, intervention and light construction work in the US Gulf of Mexico starting mid 2011. The estimated contract value of this Frame Agreement is approximately $125 million.

On April 26, Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) (SIX: RIGN) provided the following update on the Deepwater Horizon and the company's role in supporting BP Exploration & Production, Inc. and the Unified Area Command in stemming the flow of hydrocarbons from the well. The Deepwater Horizon is insured for total loss coverage and for wreck removal, to the extent removal can be carried out and is required. The total insured value of the rig is $560m. The rig sank in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico after an explosion and fire last week, and it is now located on the sea floor approximately 1,500 feet northwest of the well center and away from any subsea pipelines.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has accepted high bids valued at $111,385,124 and awarded 155 leases to the successful high bidders who participated in Western Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 210 held August 19, 2009. Funds from the total high bids will be distributed to the general fund of the U.S. Treasury, shared with the affected States, and set aside for land and water conservation efforts that benefit all fifty states. The leases were awarded following the completion of an extensive, two-phase bid evaluation process to ensure that the Federal government receives a fair monetary return for the public mineral resources it makes available. During Lease Sale 210, twenty-seven companies submitted 189 bids on 162 tracts in the Western Gulf of Mexico.

A sale of federal oil and natural gas leases for the Western Gulf of Mexico attracted $115,466,321 million in high bids, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced. To date this year, the department has offered 55 million acres of U.S. public land – onshore and offshore – for oil and gas development, generating more than $875m in revenues. “The responsible development of oil and gas resources on U.S. public lands is an integral part of President Obama’s comprehensive energy strategy for the nation,” Secretary Salazar said. Western Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 210, held in New Orleans by Interior’s Minerals Management Service, received 189 bids on 162 federal Outer Continental Shelf tracts from 27 companies. The sum of all bids received totaled $145,186,365.00.

BP Exploration & Production Inc. said a hydrocarbon discovery in an exploration well that tested its Isabela prospect in the Gulf of Mexico. The well is located on Mississippi Canyon Block 562 in approximately 6,500 feet of water, about 150 miles southeast of New Orleans. Isabela was drilled to a total depth of approximately 19,100 feet into Miocene era sands. The well is operated by BP Exploration & Production Inc. with a 67% working interest and is co-owned by Noble Energy, Inc. with a 33% working interest. The lease was acquired at federal OCS Lease Sale 169 in March, 1998.