The much anticipated Angelin platform has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago. Angelin, which will be BPTT’s 15th offshore platform, was fabricated in Altamira, Mexico. Construction of the topside and jacket was completed at Altamira and sailed on June 30th. The platform arrived at the end of July.
In 2017, BPTT said that the decision to construct the platform outside Trinidad and Tobago ‘although difficult, was necessary to preserve Angelin’s project schedule’. The company explained that delivering first gas by 2019 was a priority.
Similar concerns over project timelines previously led to the decision to move construction of the Juniper platform jacket to the U.S. in 2015.
Now that the Angelin platform has been completed, BPTT has indicated that it will be installed off the south-east coast of Trinidad over the coming weeks.
First gas is expected to be delivered on time in the first quarter of 2019.
The Angelin facility will be located 60 kilometres off the south-east coast of Trinidad in water depth of approximately 65 metres. Angelin was originally discovered by the El Diablo well in 1995 and appraised by La Novia in 2006. The development will include four wells and will have a production capacity of approximately 600 million standard cubic feet a day (mmscf/d). Gas from Angelin will flow to the Serrette platform via a new 21 kilometre pipeline.
According to a BPTT press release, Regional President Claire Fitzpatrick said, ‘Angelin is part of BPTT’s long-term plan to develop its resources in the Columbus Basin and the development underscores BPTT’s commitment to Trinidad and Tobago. The safe arrival of the jacket and topsides is an important milestone and we are now focusing on the next stages of the project as we progress towards first gas in 2019’.
The release added that Trinidad and Tobago nationals were involved in the construction of Angelin and BPTT has also sought to share lessons learned during construction of the platform. As part of this effort, the company facilitated a visit to the Altamira fabrication yard by representatives from the government and private sector.
Senator the Honourable Franklin Khan, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, and other representatives from the government and private sector visited the fabrication yard at Altamira in January 2018. Minister Khan, upon his return, held a town hall-styled meeting and spoke to residents about their responsibilities as stakeholders, urging them to find better ways to air their grievances. He said that the presence of organised labour and unions was not the issue but rather how disputes were being addressed.
Minister Khan reflected on the Altamira visit and said the workers there were unionised as well, but they were able to solve their problems without protest actions. He reminded participants that while Juniper was delivered on time, part of the fabrication had to be sent abroad to be completed to preserve the project timeline. The protest action was one of the factors that led to the decision that Angelin would be built in Mexico, which was a significant loss to the community and the wider country. He also urged participants to see the broader picture and understand the competitive nature of the global industry and how industrial protests and activities that alter project timelines can have very negative impacts.