LLOG Exploration Co. LLC, a Harbour Energy subsidiary, has awarded Subsea7 a sizeable subsea contract for the Who Dat East development in the Gulf of Mexico.
The project lies in lease MC 509 1, in roughly 1,300 m of water.
Subsea7 classifies a sizeable contract as one valued between $50 million and $150 million.
The award places the offshore engineering group in charge of critical infrastructure that will connect the new development with the existing Who Dat production complex.
The work scope includes the fabrication, transportation, and installation of a 29 km steel catenary riser and a pipe in pipe system.
Both will connect the Who Dat East development to the Who Dat floating production system.
Subsea7 will also install the project umbilical and subsea control equipment.
These systems will provide the communication, hydraulic power, and operational control required to manage the subsea well and associated equipment from the production facility.
Project management and engineering activities are scheduled to begin immediately at the Subsea7 office in Houston, Texas.
That early start gives the contractor time to complete detailed design work, coordinate fabrication, and prepare the installation campaign before vessels move offshore.
Offshore activities are expected to begin in 2028. The schedule aligns the subsea installation work with the broader development plan, which targets initial production from Who Dat East during the second half of that year.
LLOG sanctioned the Who Dat East development in August, advancing the discovery toward commercial production.
The decision marked an important step for a compact project designed to use established infrastructure rather than require a separate production facility.
The development will consist of a single well. LLOG plans to complete the Who Dat East discovery well drilled in 2024, then connect it to the existing floating production system through the new subsea pipeline and control network.
The 29 km pipeline will provide the physical link between the well and the Who Dat facility.
Using the existing production hub can reduce the amount of new surface infrastructure required while concentrating processing operations at an established offshore asset.
Minor upgrades will be made to the floating production system to accommodate the additional production stream.
Although limited in scope, those modifications are necessary to ensure the facility can receive, process, and manage output from the new subsea connection.
The steel catenary riser will form a crucial transition between the seabed pipeline and the floating facility.
Its configuration is designed to accommodate vessel movement and the demanding conditions encountered in deep Gulf of Mexico waters.
The pipe in pipe design will provide an additional layer of thermal management and protection for produced fluids traveling from the field.
Maintaining suitable flow conditions is especially important across a long subsea tieback operating in deep water.
The umbilical and subsea controls will complete the operational link between the well and the host facility.
Together, they will allow commands, data, and hydraulic functions to move between topside systems and equipment installed on the seabed.
LLOG operates the Who Dat East joint venture with a 40 percent interest. Karoon USA also holds a 40 percent interest, while Westlawn Americas Offshore owns the remaining 20 percent stake.
The contract award gives Who Dat East a defined path into detailed engineering and offshore execution.
With Subsea7 responsible for the principal subsea infrastructure package, the partners are moving toward the planned 2028 installation campaign and production startup.
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