BP Plc (BP) has selected Technip SA for the Thunder Horse South Expansion project in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM).

Technip said May 12 it 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 about 1,900 m (6,234 ft), the current field development is located in Mississippi Canyon Blocks 778 and 822, in the ultradeepwater GoM.

The project scope covers:

  • Project management and engineering;
  • Coating, fabrication, installation and permanent anchoring of two rigid production flowlines of 3.25 km (2 miles) each with four pipeline end terminations; and
  • Pre-commissioning and testing.

The Paris-based company's operating center in Houston will perform the overall project management. The infield flowlines will be welded at the company’s spoolbase in Mobile, Ala.

The offshore installation is expected to be performed in the second half of 2016 by Technip’s flag ship vessel the Deep Blue, one of the world's largest ultradeepwater pipelay and subsea construction vessel, the company said.