Signet and Crowley Tugs Get Big Foot Underway from Corpus Christi [IMAGES]

Image (c) Gerard Conneely

In a joint effort last night by Crowley and Signet Maritime, 8 tugs hooked up to Chevron’s Big Foot semi-submersible production platform in Corpus Christi to safely maneuver the rig outbound through the channel on its way to the Walker Ridge Area of the Gulf of Mexico.

This included six tractor tugs owned by Signet and two of Crowley’s Ocean-class tugs.  Chevron spokesperson Cam van Ast notes the tow will take 8 to 10 days.

According to AIS data, it appears the rig is in the process of hooking up to the Crowley Ocean-class tugs for the tow out to the field.  Four of Crowley’s tugs, the Ocean Sun, Ocean Sky, Ocean Wind and and Ocean Wave are in the vicinity.

Once safely anchored to the ocean floor approximately 5,200 feet below the rig, Chevron says the offshore hook-up and commissioning work will commence, followed by the development well drilling and completion campaign.  First oil and gas is expected this year.

The Big Foot field was discovered in 2006 and is estimated to contain total recoverable resources in excess of 200 million oil-equivalent barrels.  Chevron estimates the field will be in production for approximately 35-years.

The $4 billion project was sanctioned in 2010.

About the Big Foot platform

The Big Foot platform is a dry-tree Extended Tension-Leg Platform (ETLP) with an on-board drilling rig and production capacity of 75,000 barrels of oil and 25 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Chevron subsidiary, Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (operator), has a working interest of 60 percent in the Big Foot development, with co-owners Statoil (27.5 percent) and Marubeni Oil & Gas (12.5 percent).

The following images are courtesy Chevron USA: