Shell approves development of Dover offshore field in US Gulf of Mexico

Oil major Shell has approved the development of the Dover offshore field in the Gulf of Mexico.

Shell plans to develop the Dover project as a subsea tieback to the Shell-operated Appomattox offshore production platform through 17.5 miles of flowline and riser to form two producing wells.

The Dover oil field is expected to be put into production from the end of 2024 to the beginning of 2025, with a peak production of 21,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Paul Goodfellow, Shell executive vice president deepwater, said: “Shell was a pioneer in the Appomattox Norphlet reservoir and we are continuing to build on our leadership in the Dover reservoir. Last year we had an FID on Rydberg, which provided us with a opportunity, allowing us to add our proprietary acreage in this prolific basin."

Shell said the investment in Dover underscored its long-term commitment to the development of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, where oil production is one of the least greenhouse gas-intensive in the world.

The Dover field, originally discovered in 2018, is located in the Mississippi Canyon, about 170 miles southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana, in about 7,500 feet of water.

Shell did not disclose the cost of developing Dover.