Matterhorn Field is developed with a floating structure, comprising the wellheads and the separation and treatment installations. The platform has a throughput capacity of 33,000 barrels of oil per day and more than 55 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. Production is brought to shore through connections to the existing subsea pipeline network. The TLP is an Atlantia SeaStar design of the type previously installed on such deepwater projects as Chevron’s Typhoon and British-Borneo’s Morpeth and Allegheny fields. At 4500t, however, the Matterhorn SeaStar is the largest built to date, double the size of the previous units and the first unit of this design to incorporate dry trees. In the field, the Matterhorn SeaStar has nine well slots and capacities of 35,000b/d of oil, 55 million scf/d of gas, 20,000b/d of water treated and 30,000b/d of water injected, as well as a 1000hp drilling rig and the capacity to add future tiebacks. Hull fabrication began on 28 January 2002 and was completed on 31 December, on time and budget. The topsides, with a lift weight of 5500 tons, were fabricated at the Gulf Marine Fabricators yard in Corpus Christi. The hull was fabricated in Singapore by Keppel Fels and delivered to the Gulf of Mexico in April. Heerema Marine Contractors performed installation. Although the installation was challenged by a severe loop eddy current event, tropical storm Bill and Hurricane Claudette, it was completed successfully.
Matterhorn, Gulf of Mexico, Total, America(North),