INEOS Energy has reported a new oil discovery in the Norphlet formation in the Gulf of America, where the company holds a 21% working interest
The Nashville exploration well, operated by Shell with a 79% interest, represents INEOS Energy’s first successful exploration outcome in the region.
Drilled to a depth of more than five miles below the seabed, the Nashville well encountered high-quality oil within one of the Gulf’s most prospective deepwater reservoirs. The discovery is located close to Shell’s Appomattox production platform, opening up the possibility of a tie-back development to existing infrastructure jointly owned by Shell and INEOS.
David Bucknall, CEO of INEOS Energy, commented, "This is a good result for INEOS Energy and an important step in building our presence in the US Gulf where world-class resources are to be found and developed responsibly. We believe Nashville will help strengthen energy security and provide reliable supplies for many years to come."
According to the company, the well was drilled using the Deepwater Proteus, regarded as one of the most advanced offshore drilling rigs currently in operation. INEOS added that further technical evaluation is under way to assess the full scale and commercial potential of the discovery.
Heather Osecki, CEO of INEOS Energy’s US Gulf business, said, "The drilling results at Nashville are very encouraging and fully in line with what we hoped to find. This discovery is an important first step in our plans to grow our existing assets while we look to further strengthen our position in the Gulf. We look forward to continuing our work to bring further value to the Appomattox host platform."
