The refurbished Salamanca floating production unit in the Gulf of America has been successfully generating around 66,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day under strong and rigorous regulatory and safety reviews by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
In a first, the Salamanca hub in Keathley Canyon, operated by LLOG Exploration, was refurbished to reuse a decommissioned floating production unit in the Gulf. The transformation of a retired facility into a modern oil hub reflected an innovative push that ruled out time and cost constraints in building a platform from scratch. Besides, it also made a huge difference in reducing emissions, which is an otherwise unavoidable part of bringing a new facility online.
“These developments underscore the success of American Energy Dominance policies in not only expanding domestic energy supplies and creating jobs but also in boosting the economy and reducing reliance on foreign oil – all while maintaining the highest safety and environmental standards,” said Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Leslie Beyer, while mentioning the Salamanca floating production unit innovation as part of “Unleashing American Energy” agenda.
While the Bureau recognised the novelty of the Salamanca hub, it made sure the project met all regulatory and safety standards in adding new barrels to US oil production.
“We're seeing the payoff of a bold offshore energy blueprint,” said Beyer. “From cutting-edge deepwater platforms to creative reuse of existing units, industry is answering the call to maximise domestic oil production. Under President Trump's leadership, the Gulf is again proving itself as a cornerstone of American energy security, ensuring a stable and reliable energy supply.”
The hull refurbishment for the Salamanca platform was completed at Seatrium in Brownsville, before the new topside equipment and deck was connected to the hull for the final outfitting of the FPU.
