BP oil find may be "giant" but we'll wait and see
The lower tertiary oil discovery is encouraging for the energy giant but technical challenges remain daunting
What's encouraging is that the Tiber well follows BP's Kashida discovery at similar depths in 2006 and marks the 18th Lower Tertiary-aged discovery since Chevron's Jack discovery in 2006. BP's Tiber well is located in the Keathley Canyon block about 250 miles southeast of Houston and was drilled down to a total depth of 35,055 feet including 4,132 feet of water, making it one of the deepest wells drilled. BP as the operator owning a 62% interest in Tiber, along with partners Petrobras (owns 20%) and ConocoPhillips (owns 18%), will proceed with the appraisal phase for the Tiber well.
However, technical challenges in developing ultra-deep-water wells remain daunting due to extreme pressures and temperatures at lower water depths and the need for specialised drill ships on the surface. Drilling costs could be as high as $450,000-$500,000 per day, while total well costs could rise up to $250 million per well. This makes BP’s appraisal phase for the Tiber well worth watching as it determines the economic potential of the discovery after considering costs and years of development needed before starting up oil production.