Stones (WR508) - Shell

Profile for Stones (WR508) - Shell Oil and Gas Project

Location

The Stones oil and gas project is located in the Federal offshore waters of the United States, specifically in the Gulf of Mexico. It is situated approximately 320 kilometers southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana, within the Lower Tertiary geologic trend of the Gulf of Mexico[2,.

Coordinates

The exact coordinates for the Stones project are 26.4805° N, 90.775° W.

Water and Reservoir Depth

The project operates at a water depth of around 9,500 feet (2,900 meters), with the reservoir situated at a depth of approximately 26,500 feet below sea level.

Discovery and Development

• The Stones field was discovered in 2005.
• The final investment decision (FID) to develop the asset was made in May 2013.
• Production commenced in September 2016.

Production Details

• Production Capacity: The project is designed to produce up to 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d).
• Current Production: As of 2022, the project produces approximately 11.95 million barrels of oil per year and 50.94 million cubic meters of gas per year.
• Cumulative Production: By 2019, the cumulative production was 27.8 million barrels of oil and 121.76 million cubic meters of gas.

Reserves

• Oil Reserves: Remaining reserves of 43.6 million barrels as of 2019.
• Gas Reserves: Remaining reserves of 206.71 million cubic meters as of 2019.
• Total Recoverable Resources: The field is estimated to host more than 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe).

Infrastructure

• FPSO Vessel: The project uses a Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel named Turritella. This is a converted Suezmax FPSO with a turret featuring a disconnectable buoy (Buoyant Turret Mooring or BTM) to enable safe disconnection during heavy storms or hurricanes.
• Processing Capacity: The FPSO has a processing facility capacity of 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) and 15 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) of gas treatment and export. The hull can store up to 800,000 barrels of crude oil.
• Steel Lazy Wave Risers: The project utilizes steel lazy wave riser flexible pipes to transport oil and gas from the seabed to the FPSO, which helps absorb the motion of the FPSO and support production.

Subsea Development

• The project involves a subsea development tied back to the Turritella FPSO. Initially, eight wells were tied back to the FPSO to produce from more than 250 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of recoverable resources.

Contractors and Ownership

• Operator and Owner: Shell is the operator and owner of the Stones project.
• FPSO Ownership: The FPSO is owned by a joint venture company comprising SBM Offshore (55%), Mitsubishi Corporation (30%), and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) (15%).
• Engineering and Construction: The FPSO was engineered and built by SBM Offshore. Cronus Technology provided project management services for the installation of the piles, moorings, riser, Buoy Turret Module, and commissioning activities.

Environmental and Regulatory

• The project is subject to various environmental and regulatory requirements, including those governed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The development plan includes environmental impact analysis and compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).