Shell starts production at Stones development in the Gulf of Mexico
HOUSTON -- The Turritella FPSO vessel, which is the host facility for Stones deepwater oil and gas project, started producing from the Lower Tertiary. By the end of 2017, Shell expects the field to generate approximately 50,000 boed. The platform, which is the 13th FPSO in Shell’s global deepwater portfolio, produces through subsea infrastructure beneath 9,500 ft of water. Stones employs an innovative lazy wave riser configuration, consisting of a steel catenary riser with buoyancy added, with an arch bend to decouple the FPSO’s dynamic motions and subsequently increase riser performance.
The Turritella facility underscores Shell’s long-standing commitment to using FPSOs to safely and responsibly produce energy resources from its deepwater assets. Andy Brown, upstream director, Royal Dutch Shell said “Stones is the latest example of our leadership, capability, and knowledge which are key to profitably developing our global deepwater resources. Our growing expertise in using such technologies, in innovative ways, will help us unlock additional deepwater resources around the world.”
Stones, which is 100% owned and operated by Shell, is the company’s second producing field from the Lower Tertiary geologic frontier in the GOM, following the start-up of Perdido in 2010. The project demonstrates Shell’s commitment to realizing significant cost savings through innovation. It features a more cost-effective well design, which requires fewer materials and lowers installation costs; this is expected to deliver up to $1 billion reduction in well costs once all producers are completed.
Additionally, the FPSO is specially designed to operate safely during storms. In the event of a severe weather event or hurricane, it can disconnect and sail away from the field. Once the weather event has passed, the vessel can return and safely resume production. Shell’s global deepwater business is a growth priority, and the company produces approximately 600,000 boed from their deepwater assets. Three other Shell-operated ventures are currently under construction or undergoing pre-production commissioning including: Coulomb Phase 2 and Appomattox in the GOM; and Malikai, offshore Malaysia.
