Shell Offshore (Shell) announced that it achieved one of its largest US Gulf of Mexico exploration finds in the past decade from the Whale deep-water well, as the well encountered more than 1,400 net feet (427 meters) of oil bearing pay.
Whale is operated by Shell (60%) and is co-owned by Chevron (40%). It was discovered in the Alaminos Canyon Block 772, near to the Shell-operated Silvertip field and about 10-miles from the Shell-operated Perdido platform.
This discovery is adding to the company’s Paleogene exploration in the Perdido area. Through exploration, Royal Dutch Shell has added more than one billion barrels of oil equivalent resources in the last decade in the Gulf of Mexico.
Shell has three Gulf of Mexico deep-water projects under construction: Appomattox, Kaikias, and Coulomb Phase 2 . It also has investment options for additional subsea tiebacks and Vito.
Shell said that it is possible for the deep-water production to exceed 900,000 boe per day by 2020, from already discovered, established areas.
Royal Dutch Shell also announced that in the deep-water bid round for the Mexican Gulf of Mexico, Shell Exploración y Extracción de México (Shell) won four exploration blocks on its own, one with its partner Pemex Exploración y Producción and four with its partner Qatar Petroleum International Limited.
