As Shell finishes construction on its Appomattox semisubmersible platform hull, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) engineers and inspectors signed off on several topsides components during a recent pre-production inspection. Royal Dutch Shell plc and its partner, Nexen Petroleum Offshore U.S.A. Inc., will operate the platform about 80 miles off Louisiana's coast in the Mississippi Canyon.
"The Appomattox will be Shell's largest floating platform in the Gulf of Mexico," said BSEE New Orleans District Production Operations Section Chief Anthony Pizza. "The inspection is to ensure the topsides are constructed as planned, meet industry and BSEE standards, and comply with federal regulations."
The inspection involved 10 inspectors divided into two groups, each simultaneously inspecting different areas of the facility for three consecutive days. Each group concentrated on various processes, components and equipment, and the inspectors spent an average of 10.5 hours each day inspecting the facility.
The platform is slated for first oil by the end of this decade and will add about 175,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day to the nation's supply.
"With an estimated 650 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent in the field, the potential contribution to America's energy needs is great," said Pizza.
Before production can begin, engineers and inspectors will perform an additional inspection after the Appomattox is moved to its fixed location in about 7,400 feet of water.
For more information about BSEE's role in America's energy program, visit www.bsee.gov.