Shell has made its third major discovery in the Norphlet play in the Gulf of Mexico.
The successful Rydberg exploration well is the latest find in the company’s 10 year history in the area. Other successes include the Appomattox and Vicksburg discoveries.
“The Rydberg discovery builds upon our leadership position in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and its proximity to our other discoveries in the area make Rydberg particularly exciting.” said Marvin Odum, Shell Upstream Americas director.
“These successes represent the emergence of another hub for Shell’s deep-water activities that should generate shareholder value.”
The well is located 75 miles (120 kilometres) offshore in the Mississippi Canyon Block 525 in 7,479 feet (2,280 metres) of water. It was drilled to a total depth of 26,371 feet (8,038 metres) before encountering more than 400 feet (122 metres) of net oil pay.
The find is expected to yield 100 million boe, contributing to 700 million boe produced in the region.