El Paso Energy Partners has installed the new Prince Tension Leg Platform (TLP) facility in 1,450 feet of water on Ewing Bank Block 1003. The platform is located about 120 miles south of New Orleans and will gather and process oil and gas production from the Prince Field. It also will serve as a landing spot for future oil and gas developments in the Ewing Bank and Green Canyon areas of the deepwater trend.

The Prince TLP platform consists of two primary segments–the hull and the deck. It includes the first mini TLP hull constructed to support producing wellheads or “dry trees” and has a displacement of 14,400 tons, a hull weight of 3,500 tons, and a payload of 6,000 tons. The deck and facilities include a three-level, 50,000-square-foot deck with a capacity of 50,000 b/d of oil and 80 MMcf/d of gas as well as the capacity to accommodate a 1,200-horsepower workover or completion rig and the future addition of numerous sub-sea well tie-backs.

CEO Bob Phillips called it a “defining event” for El Paso Energy Partners. “The installation of the Prince platform evidences our strong commitment to building critical infrastructure for the development of new energy supplies from the deepwater trend. Moreover, the ease of installation and cost effectiveness of the facility allows EPN to assist deepwater producers with the timely and economic development of new fields that are vitally important to meeting the nation’s energy needs.”

Initial production from the Prince field is expected later this quarter, and the produced oil will be transported to EPN’s 36% owned Poseidon Oil Pipeline system. Gas production will be delivered into the Manta Ray gathering system.

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