After achieving first production earlier this week, the initial field in Kerr-McGee Corp.’s 100%-owned Constitution field in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico is expected to ramp up to a production rate of 15,000 bbl/d of oil and 12 MMcf/d of gas by Friday, the producer announced.

The Constitution field, located in Green Canyon blocks 679 and 680 in 5,000 feet of water, has estimated resources of about 110 MMboe. It is being developed with six dry-tree wells, which are processed through the Constitution truss spar floating production facility located in Green Canyon block 680. Kerr-McGee expects to reach peak production volumes of about 40,000 bbl/d and 75 MMcf/d from all six dry-tree wells by the end of the year.

“The efficient development of this deepwater field is a tremendous achievement by our employees and contractors,” said COO David A. Hager. “The project team was able to bring production on stream safely, cost effectively and ahead of schedule, maintaining the momentum gained with early startup of the nearby Ticonderoga field. What makes this even more extraordinary is the fact that it was accomplished in an environment that had strong loop currents and the most active hurricane season ever recorded.”

The Constitution truss spar was expanded during fabrication to accommodate additional production from the nearby Ticonderoga field, which was discovered after Constitution was sanctioned. The spar currently has processing capacity of 70,000 bbl/d and 200 MMcf/d. Kerr-McGee started production from two subsea wells in the Ticonderoga field in February, and that field currently is producing at a peak rate of 22,000 bbl/d and 19 MMcf/d (see Daily GPI, Feb. 22). Kerr-McGee is the operator and 50% stakeholder; Noble Energy owns the remaining 50%.

“The Constitution and Ticonderoga fields add significant volumes to our overall production portfolio,” said Hager. “As a result of Constitution and two other major deepwater developments that currently are under construction at Independence Hub and Blind Faith, we have identified double-digit volume growth over the next few years from the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.”

Kerr-McGee has interests in three subsea developments that will be tied into the Independence Hub facility, to be installed in the Atwater Valley area of the eastern Gulf with first production expected in mid-2007 (see Daily GPI, Jan. 12). The company also holds a 37.5% working interest in the Blind Faith development located on Mississippi Canyon blocks 695 and 696, where first production is expected by mid-2008.

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