Shell’s Mars platform has produced its billionth barrel of oil equivalent, becoming the first single offshore platform in the Gulf of America to reach the milestone nearly three decades after production began.
The deepwater oil and gas platform, located more than 200 kilometers south of New Orleans, started production in 1996 and was originally expected to recover around 500 million barrels.
Shell said new discoveries and technological advances enabled Mars to double that figure, with the platform expected to continue producing for another 15 years.
“It is just a great sense of pride to be part of the energy past and energy into the future. We have produced a billion barrels and we are not done yet,” said Bill Lott, Operation Supervisor, Mars platform.
Mars is one of Shell’s longest-running deepwater assets and forms part of the company’s wider Gulf of America portfolio, where Shell operates 10 production hubs. An 11th hub, Sparta, is currently under construction and scheduled to begin operations in 2028.
The company said Mars marked another milestone in the evolution of deepwater offshore production, with wells now tied back from miles away into the facility to help maintain output.
Located above a reservoir around 896 meters below sea level, Mars operates continuously year-round and supports around 150 workers onboard.
Shell said the platform played a pioneering role in advancing deepwater production technologies in the Gulf of America, building on earlier milestones such as the Cognac platform, which in 1978 became the first offshore platform to produce oil in waters deeper than 300 meters.
Today, Shell is the largest producing leaseholder in the Gulf of America and continues to position deepwater operations as a core part of its upstream portfolio, alongside offshore assets in Brazil and Nigeria.
The company said Mars’ continued production demonstrates how innovation and additional discoveries can extend the life of offshore assets far beyond original expectations.
Subscribe
