Shell begins production at platform in Gulf

HOUMA, La. (AP) - Shell Oil Co. says production has begun ahead of schedule at its Appomattox platform in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Courier reports Andy Brown, upstream director for Royal Dutch Shell, said in a news release Friday that the site was brought online earlier than expected and under budget.

At its peak, Shell expects Appomattox to produce about 175,000 barrels of oil per day.

Appomattox, Shell’s largest floating platform, operates in 7,400-feet (2255.5-meters) of water, a depth equivalent to about five Empire State Buildings. It’s the first large-scale production from what’s known as the Gulf’s Norphlet formation, about 200 miles (321.8 kilometers) southeast of Port Fourchon. It’s also the Gulf’s first production from a Jurassic reservoir, high-quality oil in sediments that date back about 150 million years.

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Information from: The Courier, http://www.houmatoday.com