Woodside picks subsea wellhead systems supplier for Gulf of Mexico oil project

Woodside has selected the U.S. provider of offshore drilling solutions Dril-Quip for the delivery of subsea wellhead systems for its deepwater oil project in the Perdido basin in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dril-Quip is set to supply BigBore IIe subsea wellhead systems for the Trion greenfield deepwater development, which includes 24 wells across two phases.

According to the company, the BBIIe system eliminates lockdown sleeves during drilling and production, saving rig time and reducing costs.

“We are pleased to play a pivotal role in this significant project with Woodside. This partnership underscores the success of our innovative solutions, supporting the milestone of Mexico’s first deepwater oil production with the Trion project,” said Don Underwood, Vice President – Subsea Products at Dril-Quip.

Dril-Quip’s Villahermosa, Mexico, facility will support the Trion project.

Trion is being developed by Woodside Energy in a joint venture with Pemex. The FID for the project was revealed in June 2023 and in August Woodside received a stamp of approval from the Mexican regulator for the field development plan (FDP).

The Mexican Ministry for Energy gave its approval for the social impact assessment of the Trion project earlier this month.

The project will be developed through an FPU with an oil production capacity of 100,000 barrels per day, which will be connected to an FSO vessel with a capacity of 950,000 barrels of oil. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries recently awarded a commissioning contract for the FPU to Houston-based Gate Energy, while Wood will deliver the detailed topside design work for the FPU project. 

The forecasted total capital expenditure for Trion is $7.2 billion out of which $4.8 billion is Woodside’s share including capital carry of Pemex of approximately $460 million. The first oil is targeted for 2028.