The Appomattox development will initially commence production from the Appomattox and Vicksburg fields, which are estimated to have an average peak production capacity of approximately 175,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day.
Shell holds 79% stake in the platform and the Appomattox and Vicksburg fields, while CNOOC’s wholly-owned subsidiary Nexen Petroleum Offshore owns the remaining 21%.
Shell Upstream Americas director Marvin Odum said: "Appomattox opens up more production growth for us in the Gulf of Mexico, where our production last year averaged about 225,000boe per day, and this development will be profitable for decades to come."
The Appomattox development host will feature a semi-submersible, four-column production host platform, a subsea system with six drill centers, 15 producing wells, and five water injection wells.
Shell has also finalized plans for the Mattox Pipeline, which will transport crude oil from the Appomattox host to an existing offshore structure in the South Pass area.
