Thunder Horse is located in the Mississippi Canyon (MC) area in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico approximately 156 miles southeast of New Orleans, or approximately 69 miles from the Louisiana coastline in water depth of 6,050 feet. Thunder Horse consists of a taut wire moored semi-submersible system with production, drilling, and quarters (PDQ) as the primary production facility for field depletion. Thunder Horse is the largest drilling and production semi-submersible facility in the world at 130,000 tons displacement. It has a deck load capacity of 40,000 tons and is designed to process and export up to 250,000 barrels of oil and 200 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The reservoir depth ranges from 18,000 - 30,000 feet deep with Bottom Hole temperature up to 270 degrees F. 

The PDQ is located near the southern boundary of MC 778. The PDQ is designed to deliver 250 mbopd, 200 mmscfd, 140 mpd produced water handling, and 300 mpd mixed seawater/produced water injection. The Thunder Horse wells are primarily located in subsea well clusters, with additional satellite subsea production and water injection wells located where the reservoir structure dictates. Export of oil and gas will be through large diameter oil and gas export pipelines connected to the PDQ through steel catenary export risers.

BP Exploration & Production Inc. holds a 75% working interest in the unit and an  ExxonMobil affiliate owns the remaining 25% interest. BP is the designated operator.