BP Trinidad and Tobago (BPTT) is a significant subsidiary of the global BP energy company which specialises in upstream, midstream, downstream, and retail energy sectors. Therefore as one of the largest natural gas producers, BPTT accounts for almost 50% of Trinidad and Tobago’s total gas production and 25% of the global BP’s net gas production. Consequently, the role of BPTT under BP cannot be understated. We are thrilled to be catching up with BPTT again to see how the company has continued to grow the energy sector of Trinidad and Tobago and highlight some key new developments and projects for the company over the upcoming year.
BPTT is one of the largest hydrocarbon producers and a leader in natural gas production with 16 offshore production platforms, 2 subsea tiebacks and 2 onshore processing facilities. BPTT believes the key to long-term sustainability is building local expertise across all areas of national energy. To achieve this BPTT has a range of operations spanning the oil and gas industry, the design and construction of platforms and the installation of pipelines across Trinidad and Tobago. As a joint partnership between BP (70%) and Repsol (30%), BPTT has seen major developments as it continues to expand its operations to meet the growing energy and renewable energy needs of the future.
A crucial development for BPTT in recent years is in the Cypre Gas Field. The project will develop BPTT’s third subsea development which will include 7 wells and subsea trees. The trees will tie back into BPTT’s existing Juniper platform via flexible flowlines. The gas field is located 78km off the southeast coast of Trinidad in the East Mayaro Block at a water depth of roughly 80 metres. The project is expected to deliver an average gas production of 250-300 million standard cubic feet a day (mmscfd) which will go towards meeting BPTT’s existing gas supply commitments. This development is part of BPTT’s goal to make the most of existing infrastructure, whilst identifying innovative solutions to bring gas to the market faster without adding operating emissions.
David Campbell, president of BPTT, highlights the crucial role of the Cyre Gas Field, “The go-ahead for the Cypre development is great news for Trinidad and Tobago and for BPTT, as it demonstrates our continued commitment to investing in our business here. Today’s announcement is a great reflection of our strategy in action – efficiently developing the resources in our existing acreage so we can bring new gas to the market faster, all without increasing operating emissions.” As Campbell highlights, the use of existing infrastructure emphasises BPTT’s push towards making the project more sustainable and also cost-efficient for its stakeholders and partnerships by delivering projects that excel whilst protecting the region for future generations.
In June just last year, BPTT announced that the first segment of the flexible (flowlines) pipe which accounts for roughly 40% of the total flexible length of the gas field. These were successfully loaded into custom-built storage baskets from the Baker Hughes Newcastle Facility and were shipped to the Port of Blyth which will be their temporary storage location until they are transported to Trinidad later this year. This marks a key milestone in the development and the future of the Cypre Gas Field and will add to BPTT’s extensive portfolio of offshore production platforms and subsea tieback projects.
A crucial project for BPTT is its Mango Field offshore project, which in May last year saw the first phase of the ‘small pools’ drilling campaign completed. The Mango Field campaign aims to add three wells in the Mango Field, one in the Savonette Field and 3 in the Angelin Field. Since we last covered this project, all of the wells on the Mango Field have been put into production and are producing roughly 180 mmscfd with the third well still ramping up its production. In addition to the wells, the ‘small pools’ drilling program includes a range of side tracks of existing wells as well as access to new exploration segments that have not previously been put into production. By targeting these smaller gas reserves that are already near existing BPTT infrastructure, the company can take advantage of these resources and bring them into production much faster. So far, BPTT has been optimising its operations through seismic data to reprocess, interpret and provide rigorous well planning which has seen positive results thus far.
As we have seen, deepwater development in Trinidad and Tobago is such a key and lucrative industry that benefits both the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the range of energy companies working across the region. A key development for the region was announced in September 2023, with a joint contract awarded to BPTT and Shell Trinidad and Tobago by the government to develop deepwater exploration blocks off Trinidad’s east coast. BP and Shell own 50% stakes in each block and will oversee blocks 25(a), 25(b) and 27. The first two blocks will be operated by BPTT, with block 27 operated by Shell.
David Campbell comments in the press release that, “For more than four decades BPTT has been operating off Trinidad’s east coast and the deepwater represents the next major province for this country’s indigenous energy development. We are looking to this exciting new era of exploration and production in the deepwater of Trinidad and Tobago combining our knowledge of the country’s geological systems and our global deepwater expertise”. Campell’s comments emphasize the solidified role that BPTT continues to play across the region. With vital contracts awarded by the government, the company is set to continue to harness the gas potential of the region along with other vital stakeholders and develop the region’s global energy industry for many years to come.
As we saw last year, BPTT has been continually expanding its operations, with a key development in its Cassia C facility, which makes up part of BPTT’s Area Development Plan. The Area Development Plan has set out to develop the hydrocarbon resources in its licensed marine acreage for Trinidad and Tobago. This plan includes a combination of exploration and development projects which are focused on maximising BPTT’s production. The Cassia C facility is the first offshore compression platform for BPTT and its biggest offshore facility, which will enable the BPTT to access and produce low-pressure gas resources from the Greater Cassia Area. With an expected peak production of roughly 200-300 mmscfd of gas, the facility is the 16th one under BPTT to help meet the region’s supply commitment and sustain Trinidad and Tobago’s LNG and petrochemical industries.
David Campbell, President of BPTT said in a press release on the facility that “First gas from Cassia C is an important milestone for BP in Trinidad and Tobago. This first offshore compression facility will allow us to unlock new resources and bring much-needed gas to market. I am immensely proud of the teams which have been working hard to bring this facility online”. Campbell’s statements come as the facility, which sits approximately 35 miles off Trinidad’s southeastern coast, will maximise the production potential of BPTT’s acreage.
In December last year, BPTT announced the new Atlantic structure which would bring benefits to Trinidad and Tobago. The shake-up will see the restricted ownership and commercial framework allow for an intensified focus on operational efficiency and reliability for Atlantic LNG, a key liquified natural gas (LNG) company in Trinidad and Tobago. This will mean investors will provide greater certainty and allow for the sanctioning of the next wave of upstream gas projects. In an agreement between shareholders and the government, a new ownership structure and commercial framework was agreed which will see the National Gas Company increase its equity share in Atlantic LNG, consistent with the commitment by the government to maximise the value of hydrocarbon sales for the country.
In addition, the structure will facilitate market-reflective pricing which will provide fair value from the sale of LNG for both the country and the shareholders, which it will achieve by focusing on the operational efficiency and reliability of LNG. For BPTT it will, as outlined by David Campell “set a strong foundation for future investment in Trinidad and Tobago’s energy industry, including deepwater”. Consequently, all shareholders across Trinidad and Tobao’s gas and oil industry are always working together to develop the region’s prosperity and highlight it as a key global hub for deepwater developments garnering investment from the international energy sector.
We have seen yet again that for Trinidad and Tobago, its energy sector remains a significant part of its economic development on both a local and international scale. With key investments from stakeholders and governmental organisations across the sector, companies such as BPTT continue to solidify Trinidad and Tobago’s role as a key energy hub. As the company looks towards the future with new and exciting key developments, we look forward to seeing how BPTT continues to expand the gas industry in Trinidad and Tobago and bring continued economic prosperity across the region thanks to its top-of-the-line deepwater developments.
