16/01/2025 by Richard
Integrated energy company Chevron has announced that in the deepwater of the US Gulf of Mexico, the semi-submersible platform ‘Whale’ has begun producing crude oil.
Whale is located in about 2,620 metres of water some 200 miles southwest of Houston. Chevron, which produces lubricant and grease products under the Texaco brand, owns a 40% interest in the project. Shell owns the remaining 60% as operator of the platform.
The news follows Chevron’s Anchor project coming online, which was the first high-pressure project in the industry.
Chevron’s president for Americas Exploration & Production, Bruce Niemeyer, said that the onset of production at Whale brought the company closer to its 2026 target for daily US Gulf of Mexico production of 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent. He added:
“As a leading leaseholder in the Gulf, where we produce some of the lowest carbon intensity oil and natural gas in the world, Chevron is well positioned to continue growing affordable, reliable production in the US while delivering higher returns and cash flow.”
Whale is expected to yield lower cost, lower emissions and greater returns from its production thanks to a simplified design model with energy-efficient compression systems and gas turbines. Some 15 wells will be involved in its first phase of production, with production expected to peak at around 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
The new platform is just 10 miles from the Perdido spar platform, which is also operated by Shell with a minority interest from Chevron.
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