By Phaedra Friend Troy
US major Chevron (NYSE:CVX) has chosen Mustang, a subsidiary of the Wood Group, for the detail design of the Jack and St. Malo ultra-deepwater development in the US Gulf of Mexico.
Mustang will perform detailed design for the topsides of the semisubmersible production facility being planned for the unified development of the two fields, which will be located in 7,000 feet of water in the Walk Ridge area offshore Louisiana. The contract also includes the detailed engineering for the integrated control and safety systems on the Jack/St. Malo development project.
The Jack-St. Malo development is expected to come on-stream in 2014.
Mustang also performed the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) for the project in 2009. Having also designed Chevron’s Blind Faith deepwater platform, Mustang has designed more semisubmersible topsides production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico than any other company.
Groundbreaking Discoveries
Jack was discovered in September 2004 on Walker Ridge Block 758, about 270 miles southwest of New Orleans and 175 miles offshore. Chevron serves as the operator of the block with 50 percent interest, and Statoil and Maersk both hold 25 percent interest.
The St. Malo oil field was discovered by the Discoverer Spirit drillship in October 2003 on Walker Ridge Block 679 by then-operator Unocal. The discovery well transected a gross hydrocarbon column measuring 1,400 feet. Chevron also serves as the operator of St. Malo. Project partners are Petrobras, Statoil and ExxonMobil.