Big Foot Oil Pipeline, Gulf of Mexico, USA

Big Foot Oil Pipeline in the US will be constructed by Enbridge Inc, a Canada-based company. A letter of intent was signed by Enbridge on 5 October 2009 with Chevron USA, Statoil Gulf of Mexico LLC and Marubeni Oil and Gas (USA). Enbridge expressed an interest in building and operating a pipeline from the Big Foot ultra-deepwater development in the Gulf of Mexico.

On 29 July 2009 Enbridge announced it would construct, own and operate the $500m Walker Ridge Gathering System, which will aggregate and transport natural gas for the proposed Jack, St Malo and Big Foot fields, which are operated by Chevron. The Big Foot Oil Pipeline is complementary to the project.

The pipeline will be located 170 miles south of the Louisiana coast. The estimated cost of the project is $250m and will be funded by Enbridge using the company's own money.

The Big Foot Oil Pipeline will transport crude oil to a sub-sea connection. The pipeline will be about 40 miles long, have a 20in diameter and will be situated at a depth of about 5,900ft. It will have a transporting capacity of 100,000bpd.

Engineering and consulting group Cronus Technology Inc (CTI) has been selected as consultant for the Big Foot Oil Pipeline project and is working on the pipeline's design. The project is expected to be completed by 2012.

Design

CTI set up a project management and engineering team to manage the project and decide what the pipeline's route would be.

CTI will draft the basic design documents and conduct hydraulic analysis. The company will also help select equipment and materials. In addition, CTI will perform cost estimates and develop overall project schedules and technical studies related to the project's development.

Offshore

Located in Walker Ridge Block 29 in the US Gulf of Mexico, Big Foot oil field is one of the largest and deepest in the gulf. The oil field was discovered by California-based energy company Chevron Corporation in January 2006.

The field is 5,000ft inside water and situated approximately 225 miles south of New Orleans. Exploration and delineation wells in the Big Foot field indicate a 90m pay zone.

Big Foot was ranked the eighth-largest deepwater field in the Gulf of Mexico by Paul Siegele of Deep Water Exploration and Projects in 2007.

The development of Big Foot oil field is still at the proposal stage. Chevron is evaluating development feasibility and the field is expected to come on-stream in 2010. Hydrocarbon estimates at the Big Foot oil and gas reservoir are 100mmboe.

Jack oil field was discovered in July 2004 and is located in Walker Ridge Block 759 and 758 in the Gulf of Mexico. The field is situated in 7,000ft of water and is operated by Chevron. Production at the field is expected to begin in 2013.

The St Malo field, located in Walker Ridge Block 678 at a depth of 2,100ft, was discovered in October 2003. The field is located 250 miles south of New Orleans and is operated by Chevron.