Saint Malo (WR678) - Union

Location

The St. Malo field is located approximately 280 miles (451 km) south of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, it is situated in Walker Ridge Block 678.

Water Depth

The St. Malo field is at a water depth of 2,100 feet (640 meters).

Discovery

The St. Malo field was discovered in October 2003 by a well drilled by Transocean’s Discoverer Spirit drillship. The well struck a net oil pay of 1,400 feet.

Development

The development of the St. Malo field is part of the joint development with the Jack field. Here are some key points about the development:

• Initial Phases: The initial phases of development involved drilling ten production wells (six at St. Malo and four at Jack) and 43 subsea wells tied back to a single host floating semisubmersible production facility.
• Production Facility: The production facility is a semisubmersible floating production unit installed at a depth of 7,000 feet. It has a capacity of 170,000 barrels of oil per day and 42 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas.
• Recent Developments: Chevron announced the St. Malo Stage 4 waterflood project in September 2019. This project involves drilling two new production wells, three new injector wells, and the installation of topside water injection equipment on the floating production facility. This is expected to recover more than 175 million barrels of oil equivalent and extend the life of the field.

Ownership and Partners

• Chevron: Holds a 51% working interest in the field through its subsidiaries, Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and Union Oil Company of California.
• Other Partners:
  • MP Gulf of Mexico, LLC (25%): Owned by Murphy Oil Corporation (80%) and Petrobras America Inc. (20%).
  • Equinor Gulf of Mexico LLC (21.5%).
  • ExxonMobil Corporation (1.25%).
  • Eni Petroleum US LLC (1.25%).

Production and Reserves

• Peak Production: The facility has a peak production capacity of 170,000 barrels of oil per day and 42 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas.
• Estimated Recoverable Reserves: The total estimated recoverable reserves for the Jack/St. Malo fields are up to 500 million oil-equivalent barrels.

Technological and Operational Highlights

• Waterflood Project: The St. Malo Stage 4 waterflood project is Chevron’s first in the deepwater Wilcox trend and aims to enhance oil recovery from the field.
• Low Carbon Intensity: The oil and gas produced in the Gulf of Mexico, including from the Jack/St. Malo fields, are among the lowest carbon intensity barrels in the world.

Future Outlook

• Production Life: The St. Malo field has an estimated remaining production life of approximately 30 years.
• Expansion Plans: Chevron is working to increase production in the Gulf of Mexico, aiming to produce 300,000 barrels of oil-equivalent per day by 2026 through its portfolio of operated and non-operated facilities.