Jun. 2012 - BP has commenced production from the deepwater three-field Galapagos development --Isabela, Santiago and Santa Cruz – in the Gulf of Mexico. The three fields are connected via a flowline loop to the BP-operated Na Kika host platform, situated about 140 miles (225 kilometers) south of New Orleans in 6,500 feet (1,981 meters) of water. Production is slated to ramp up by the end of the month from the Na Kika facility, which has an output capacity of 130,000 bopd and has been modified to handle additional output from the fields.

May. 2011 - Noble Energy has discovered oil in the Santiago prospect in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The well, located in 6,500 feet (1,981 meters) of water on Mississippi Canyon Block 519, was drilled to a total depth of 18,920 feet (5,767 meters) by the ENSCO 8501 semisub. Noble said that open-hole logging identified nearly 60 feet (18 meters) of oil pay in a high-quality Miocene reservoir. Santiago is the third discovery in Noble's Galapagos project, in addition to the prior successes at Santa Cruz and Isabela. Total gross resources discovered in the larger Galapagos project, including the Santiago well, are estimated by Noble Energy to be 130 MMboe, of which 75% of the discovered resources are oil. The company is moving forward with the Galapagos development and expects for all three wells to be online in early 2012. Currently, Noble is proceeding with completion operations at Santiago and once completed, the company is planning to return to the Deep Blue prospect and resume drilling operations. Following Deep Blue, the Company is planning to spud an appraisal well at the Gunflint discovery (Mississippi Canyon 948).

Sep. 2010 - Noble Energy has applied for a permit for completions operations on its Isabela prospect in Mississippi Canyon 562. Although the permit has yet to be approved, Noble is expecting that approval will be granted.

Apr. 2010 - The Na Kika pipeline came back online Saturday, announced Royal Dutch Shell. Shell, a partner in the field, shut down the pipeline on Thursday as a precaution to avoid the possible fall of Transocean's Deepwater Horizon semisub. The pipeline lies in the Mississippi Canyon area where the vessel caught fire last week. Located at Mississippi Canyon Block 474, approximately 140 miles (225 kilometers) southeast of New Orleans, is the Na Kika field, producing roughly 75,000 bopd. BP operates the field, holding a 50% interest; Shell holds the remaining 50%.

Apr. 2010 - BP awarded Subsea 7 an installation contract for the Galapagos and Na Kika Phase 3 developments. Engineering work will start immediately, and installation will take place late 2010 using Subsea 7's pipelay and construction vessel. The fields will be subsea tied-back to the Na Kika semisub, and are scheduled to come online in 2011. Both fields are located in Mississippi Canyon roughly 130 miles (209 kilometers) southwest of New Orleans, La, in a water depth of 6,300 feet (1,920 meters). BP is the production operator of the Na Kika facility and the satellite subsea fields.

Dec. 2009 - Noble Energy submitted a DOCD for its Santa Cruz and Santiago prospects in the Central Gulf of Mexico. The submission proposes to drill, complete and install two lease term jumpers on Mississippi Canyon Block 519, wells No. 1 and 2. The jumpers will tie-back the wells to BP's Na Kika Platform, located on MC 474. Noble is the operator of the entire block and holds a 23.25% working interest. Other interest holders are BP (46.50%), Red Willow (20.25%) and HE&D (10.00%).

Sep. 2009 - Technip was awarded a lump sum contract by BP for the Isabela project in the Gulf of Mexico. The project is a subsea tie-back to the Na Kika semisub located in Mississippi Canyon Block, 140 miles (225 kilometers) offshore New Orleans, Louisiana, at a water depth of approximately 6,300 feet (1,920 meters). The contract will cover project management, engineering, fabrication and installation of pipe-in-pipe flowlines, steel cantenary risers and subsea equipments. BP operates this field with a 66.67% interest while Noble Energy holds the remaining 33.33% interest.

Jul. 2009 - BP submitted a Development Operations Coordination Document with MMS for the Herschel field. The DOCD is for the installation of a jumper and remaining equipment, as well as to commence production at Mississippi Canyon Block 520. Herschel was discovered in 1996 and began initial production in 2003. Shell and BP hold equal shares in the Herschel field with Shell as the operator.

Jun. 2009 - ClampOn has secured the order for several subsea sand monitors and pig detectors to the Isabela field. Isabela lies in 6,500 feet (1980 meters) of water and about 155 miles (250 kilometers) southeast of New Orleans. The satellite field is expected to commence production in 2011. The development will be tied-back to the NaKika field.

Apr. 2009 - The Transocean Marianas spudded exploration well #HH2 at Mississippi Canyon 520 in the Herschel field, which is currently producing via the Na Kika facility. The field was originally discovered in 1996 and started production in December 2003. Shell and BP hold equal shares in the field.

Apr. 2009 - Noble made a discovery at the Santa Cruz prospect in MC Blocks 519,563. The well, located in 6,515 feet (1,986 meters) of water, was drilled to a TD of 18,900 feet (5,761 meters). The overall thickness of the reservoirs encountered was greater than originally expected. Current field development plans consist of a subsea tie-back to a nearby infrastructure, and production commencing in 2011.

Jan. 2009 - According to RigLogix, Diamond's Ocean Victory spudded Noble's Santa Cruz prospect located on Mississippi Canyon 519. Drilling is expected to take about 30 days.

Jul. 2007 - Noble Energy has made a discovery on Mississippi Canyon Block 562 (Isabela Prospect) in the Gulf of Mexico, located approximately 150 miles southeast of New Orleans in 6,500 feet of water. The Isabela well was spud on February 28, 2007, and drilled to a total depth of approximately 19,100 feet using Transocean's Deepwater Horizon. The well encountered hydrocarbons in two high quality reservoirs. Noble Energy has a 33.33 percent working interest in the Isabela discovery. BP is the operator of the project with 66.67 percent.

Nov. 2006 - FMC Technologies, Inc. said that it has entered into a new frame agreement with BP for the supply of subsea systems and related services for the Na Kika, Thunder Horse and Atlantis developments in the Gulf of Mexico. FMC and BP have been working together under a previous frame agreement covering Gulf of Mexico projects since 2001. The new agreement covers a period of up to 10 years. The contract calls for FMC to provide subsea trees, controls, manifolds, and well connection systems.

Mar. 2006 - Delmar successfully installed the 10,000-psi trees from an anchor handling vessel (AHV) in 7,950' of water, establishing a new world record for installation. Delmar also holds the previous world record depth for installation work in 7,570' for the Shell Coulomb development.

Oct. 2005 - Shell will bring its Na Kika pipeline in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico back into service November 1, 2005

Jun. 2004 - Shell Exploration & Production Company reports that on June 23rd it began producing natural gas from its Coulomb development, which consists of the two deepest wells in the world in terms of water depth. The world record-breaking wells are located in Mississippi Canyon blocks 657 and 613 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and tied back via a 27-mile flowline to the BP-Shell Na Kika Floating Development System in Mississippi Canyon 474.

May. 2004 - FMC Technologies, Inc. reports that its subsea systems have been installed on the Shell-operated Coulomb project, in the world-record water depth for a subsea completion of approximately 7,600 feet.

Dec. 2003 - Shell Exploration & Production Company and BP America Inc. today announced another key milestone in the development of the giant Na Kika project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico with the achievement of first production. Na Kika consists of five independent fields - Kepler, Ariel, Fourier, Herschel and East Anstey - each of which would be uneconomic to develop on its own. Shell and BP have developed the fields with the installation of a centrally located, permanently-moored semi-submersible floating production facility - the first time a hub-type system has been used to develop a group of fields all of which are of small to medium size.

Dec. 2003 - Shell Exploration & BP America announced that production began at the giant Na Kika project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Na Kika consists of five independent fields: Kepler, Ariel, Fourier, Herschel and East Anstey, each of which would have been uneconomical to devlope on its own.