Production has commenced from Shell’s second Mars B field in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

Using what Shell says is the seventh and largest floating platform in the US Gulf, Mars B is being produced via the Olympus Tension Leg Platform (TLP), which was installed last summer. The facility represents another step up in the scale of TLPs used in the GoM at 126,000 tons, compared with 98,000 tons for the Ursa TLP and 55,000 tons on the original Mars TLP. From the base of the hull to the top of the drilling derrick on Olympus is 123 m (406 ft).

Shell added that it is the first GoM deepwater project of its kind to significantly expand an existing oil field. The project is located in a water depth of 945 m (3,100 ft), with the Olympus TLP having 24 vertical access well slots for the Mars B structure and further allowing for the tieback of two other fields, West Boreas and South Deimos via an export pipeline to the West Delta 143 C platform just off the Louisiana coast.

Combined reserves from Mars and Olympus of up to 1 Bboe of oil should extend production from Mars through to 2050.

John Hollowell, executive vice president for deepwater for Shell Upstream Americas, pointed out that the Olympus platform installation was achieved six months ahead of schedule, allowing an earlier first oil date.

Using a platform rig at Olympus and another drilling unit, Shell forecasts production from Mars B will ramp up to 100,000 boe/d by 2016.

Discovery of the original Mars field was in 1989 and production started seven years later. The Mars field reservoirs are at a subsurface depth of 3,050-6,700 m (10,000-22,000 ft). Shell operates Mars B with 71.5%, and BP holds 28.5%.
This year Shell is also due to bring onstream the Cardamom field, adding another 50,000 boe/d of production, and work is underway on the ultra-deepwater Stones development – operated by Shell with 100% - following a final investment decision in May 2013.

Offshore