Sparta Oil Field

Summary Information

• Operator: Shell
• Country: USA
• Location: Garden Banks Block 959 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico
• Production start: Expected 2028
• Partners: Shell - 51%, Equinor - 49%
• Type: Oil / Gas
• Estimated Reserves: 244 million boe (2P) recoverable
• Production Volume:

Description

• North Platte is located in a water depth of approximately 4,400 feet (1,340 m) and was drilled to a total depth of approximately 34,500 feet (10,520 m)
• Sparta will feature a semi-submersible production host, initially with eight oil and gas producing wells.
• Sparta's design closely replicates the 100,000 barrel per day Vito and Whale designs, both of which are four-column semi-submersible host facilities. Vito is located in the greater Mars Corridor and began production in February 2023. Whale will be located in the Perdido corridor and is scheduled to come online in 2024.

Contractors

• Worley: Front-end engineering design (FEED)
• Seatrium: Construction and integration of the hull, topsides and living quarters of the Sparta semi-submersible Floating Production Unit (FPU).
• TechnipFMC: Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation of subsea production systems, umbilicals, risers, and flowlines

History

• 2012 - North Platte Oil Field discovered
• 2018 - Equinor acquired 40% of the project
• 2020 - Worley awarded FEED
• 2022 - Total exited the project
• 2022 - Shell acquired 51% of the project from Equinor
• 2023 - Final investment decision

Geology

• Subsalt Paleogene reservoir at depth of ~30,000 ft. (9,100 m)

Links

1. USA: Total announces significant oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico
2. Statoil completes acquisition of US Gulf of Mexico deepwater discovery
3. Worley has been awarded the front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for TOTAL E&P USA’s North Platte field development in the Gulf of Mexico
4. Equinor transfers operatorship for Gulf of Mexico field to Shell
5. Shell Invests in the Sparta Development in the Gulf of Mexico
6. Seatrium Secures Contract to Construct and Integrate Deep-Water Newbuild Project for Shell’s Semi-Submersible FPU
7. TechnipFMC Awarded Substantial iEPCI™ Contract for Sparta Project