By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 9 – Shell Offshore Inc. took a multibillion dollar investment decision to develop Cardamom deepwater oil and gas field near its Auger platform in the Gulf of Mexico.
Cardamom, in more than 2,720 ft of water on Garden Banks Block 427 about 225 miles southwest of New Orleans, is expected to produce 50,000 b/d of oil equivalent at peak output and recover an eventual 140 million boe from a reservoir deeper than 25,000 ft true vertical depth. Shell has 100% interest in Cardamom.
Shell said the Cardamom discovery is “a result of advances in seismic imaging and extended reach drilling. The potential of Cardamom was first recognized early in the Auger development but could not be fully assessed due to a layer of salt nearby which affected the quality of traditional seismic images. Advances in seismic imaging helped achieve significant improvements.”
The company said its exploration plan for Cardamom was the first to receive approval since the lifting of the US government moratorium on drilling in the gulf. As a result of the final investment decision, Shell will move ahead with further development drilling and installing undersea equipment.
The completed subsea system will include five well expandable manifolds, a dual 8-in. flowline, and eight well umbilicals. Modifications to the Auger platform will include additional subsea receiving equipment, a new production train, and weight mitigation, which is expected to significantly increase the Cardamom liquid handling, cooling, and production capacities.
Since initial development in 1994, Auger field has produced more than 300 million boe.
