Shell starts production at Whale in the US Gulf of Mexico

Shell Offshore Inc. (Shell), a subsidiary of Shell plc, announced that production has started at the Shell-operated Whale floating production facility in the Gulf of Mexico. Whale replicates the simplified, cost-efficient host design of the Vito platform, which began production in early 2023. The Whale development is owned by Shell Offshore Inc. (60%, operator) and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (40%).

“Whale demonstrates our focus on driving more value with less emissions from our Upstream business as we deliver the energy people need today,” said Zoë Yujnovich, Shell’s Integrated Gas and Upstream Director. “It will make a significant contribution to our commitment to bring projects online, with a total peak production of more than 500,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from 2023 through 2025.”

With an estimated peak production of 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), Whale currently has an estimated recoverable resource volume of 480 million boe. Whale replicates 99% of the hull design and 80% of the topsides from Vito. It also features energy-efficient gas turbines and compression systems, operating with around 30% lower greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity over its life cycle than Vito. This deep-water development enhances our leading Gulf of Mexico portfolio, where our oil production has among the lowest GHG intensity in the world.