Subsea7 has been awarded a contract by Shell Offshore to provide engineering services for the Sparta deep-water development in the US Gulf of Mexico.
The project involves the transportation and installation of a floating production system at Garden Banks block 959, located off the south-eastern coast of Louisiana at depths up to 1,635m.
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Project management and engineering activities will commence immediately in Houston, Texas.
The Sparta development spans four Outer Continental Shelf blocks in the Garden Banks area.
It will feature a semi-submersible production host at a depth of more than 1,400m, initially with eight oil and gas producing wells.
Shell Offshore holds a 51% operating interest, while Equinor Gulf of Mexico owns 49%.
Subsea7 Gulf of Mexico senior vice-president Craig Broussard said: “We are proud to continue our collaboration with Shell in the US, building on past projects, including the recent Vito development. We look forward to playing a key role in the successful delivery of the Sparta project.”
Sparta is expected to reach peak production of approximately 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with an estimated recoverable resource volume of 244 million barrels.
The project is scheduled to begin production in 2028 and will be Shell’s 15th deep-water host in the Gulf of Mexico.
The development highlights Shell’s cost-efficient approach through standardised host designs, first used at the Vito and Whale developments.
Sparta replicates around 95% of Whale’s hull and 85% of its topsides, showcasing Shell’s expertise in deep-water operations.
Sparta will also be the first of Shell’s replicable projects to feature all-electric topside compression equipment aimed at significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The final investment decision was reached by Equinor and Shell in December 2023.
TechnipFMC was awarded a contract in February 2024 to deliver a subsea production system for Sparta.
