Shell reports new deepwater discovery in U.S. Gulf of Mexico
HOUSTON -- Shell has made a new discovery in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The initial estimated recoverable resources for the Fort Sumter well are more than 125 MMboe. According to Shell, further appraisal drilling and planned wells in adjacent structures could considerably increase recoverable potential in the vicinity of the Fort Sumter well.
"The Fort Sumter discovery builds upon Shell's global deepwater leadership. Its proximity to our nearby discoveries in the area, and to highly prospective acreage to the southeast, makes Fort Sumter particularly significant," said Ceri Powell, executive V.P., Exploration, Shell. "These successes demonstrate there is still running room in the producing basins of our heartlands where large, high-value discoveries have the potential to further strengthen our deepwater competitiveness."
The Fort Sumter well was drilled in Mississippi Canyon Block 566, approximately 73 miles southeast of New Orleans, in a water depth of 7,062 ft, to 28,016 ft measured depth. The block is nine square miles in size and is wholly operated by Shell. An appraisal sidetrack well was later drilled to a depth of 29,200 ft measured depth.
Shell's material discovery in this heartland builds upon recent Norphlet exploration success at the Appomattox (2010), Vicksburg (2013), and Rydberg (2014) discoveries, bringing the total resources added by exploration in the Gulf of Mexico for Shell since 2010 to around 1.3 Bboe.
