Shell has brought online its PowerNap project, a subsea development in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico with an expected production of 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d). PowerNap is a tie-back to the Shell-operated Olympus tension leg platform (TLP) in the prolific Mars Corridor.
"Shell has been producing in the Mars Corridor for more than 25 years, and we continue to find ways to unlock even more value there,” said Zoe Yujnovich, Shell Upstream Director. “PowerNap strengthens a core Upstream position that is critical to achieving our Powering Progress strategy and ensuring we can supply the stable, secure energy resources the world needs today and in the future.”
Shell discovered PowerNap in 2014. The oil field is located in the south-central Mississippi Canyon area around 240 kilometres (~150 miles) from New Orleans in about 1,280 metres (~4,200 feet) of water.
Three production wells produce through a single insulated 19-mile flowline and high-pressure gas lift capability. Shell operates Olympus with a 71.5% working interest, with BP controlling the remaining 28.5%.
PowerNap production will be transported to market on the Mars pipeline, which is operated by Shell Pipeline Company LP and co-owned by Shell Midstream Partners, L.P. (71.5%) and BP Midstream Partners LP (28.5%).
