Beacon Offshore Energy has started oil and gas production from its Zephyrus field in the U.S. Gulf of America, with output from the initial well beginning in late December 2025.
The Miocene-aged development is located in Mississippi Canyon Block 759, about 130 miles southeast of New Orleans, in water depths of 3,100 to 3,600 feet. The Zephyrus discovery well was drilled in 2023 and encountered oil in the Middle Miocene Cris “I” M2 sand.
Beacon and its partners tied the Zephyrus field back to existing subsea infrastructure operated by Shell, with production processed at Shell’s Olympus platform in the Mars Corridor.
Beacon said the infrastructure-led development reduced emissions, lowered development costs and shortened the time to first oil. The nine-mile subsea tieback includes a high-integrity pressure protection system.
The company also said it has drilled a second well, Zephyrus #2, which reached a total measured depth of 26,270 feet. The well encountered 116 net feet of pay, including oil-bearing intervals in the M2 sand as well as additional Miocene sands in the M0 and UM1 reservoirs.
Completion operations are underway, with production expected to begin by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Beacon is developing the Zephyrus field alongside partners Houston Energy, HEQ II, Red Willow Offshore, Westlawn Americas Offshore and Murphy Exploration & Production.