10.10.2016
On Sept. 2, Upstream featured a project update on the Stampede Development, reporting that Hess is confident that the project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico is on target, as the company works towards first oil in 2018.
“Stampede, sanctioned in 2014, is one of just a handful of standalone US Gulf projects sustaining the local industry amid the oil-price downturn,” the publication noted.
Steve Whitaker, Project Director for Stampede, provided a project update to about 200 members of the Marine Technology Society’s Houston chapter on Aug. 25, on which Upstream based its story.
“From an industry perspective, Hess’ strong commitment to deliver top quartile performance in safety, quality, delivery and cost at the corporate level and on the Stampede project is noteworthy,” said Sandeep Khurana, Senior Manager at Granherne and Director of Programs at the Society, after the presentation. “Hess’ substantive efforts to hold everyone working on the Stampede Project to the company’s high safety standards—from the Hess project sites to those of contractors, as well suppliers and vendors—is particularly significant.”
In the article, the publication said Hess credits close collaboration with contractors such as Kiewit Offshore Services and Heerema Marine Contractors as crucial in staying on track so far.
“We are slightly ahead of schedule,” Upstream quoted Whitaker speaking at the industry event in Houston, while emphasizing early involvement with vendors was important. “That’s made a big difference to us as we have gone through.”
Among several tactics Stampede is leveraging to deliver top quartile performance, Upstream noted that Hess is also applying lessons learned from the start-up of its other recent operated development at the Tubular Bells field, which achieved first oil in 2014.
“A key factor there was the importance of not just construction and delivery but achieving a smooth transition to operations once the taps are turned on,” the article reported. “Hess aims to tackle this challenge by drawing operations staff closer to the project team as well as employing training methods like simulators.
Hess also aims to be particularly vigilant on the cost side, especially given that the project was sanctioned before oil took its precipitous plunge.”
At this stage, Whitaker said, “value erosion is really easy."
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