Shell reportedly delays start-up of two additional Perdido wells

Shell has delayed the start-up of two out of three additional wells designed to boost production from its Perdido development in the deepwater US Gulf of Mexico, media have reported in recent days.

On May 9, a Reuters report cited Shell as saying that one of the three wells had been brought online in March, while the other two were delayed until the end of 2025. Shell was separately cited as confirming this to Upstream on May 14.

The three wells are part of the Great White unit and are collectively expected to produce 22,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) at their peak. Shell announced a final investment decision (FID) on the wells in December 2023 as part of a push to boost production at the Perdido spar. The wells were originally expected online in April. However, according to a company statement reported by Upstream this week, Shell opted to prioritise other work while still aiming to bring the remaining two wells online this year in a bid to “optimise” its rig sequence.

The news service said Shell confirmed that the Great White wells were being drilled by Transocean’s Deepwater Pontus. Transocean’s latest fleet status report, published in mid-April, shows that the drillship is contracted to Shell until October 2027, at a day rate of $496,000.

Shell operates Great White with a 33.34% working interest, while Chevron and BP each hold 33.33% stakes in the development. The ownership of Perdido is slightly different, with Shell operating the platform with a 35% stake, while Chevron owns 37.5%, 3C Perdido Holdings has a 26.5% stake and BP holds 1%.

In addition to Great White, Shell is working to bring two new wells online as part of the Phase 3 Silvertip project, also designed to raise output at Perdido. An FID on that project was announced in December 2024, with the two wells expected online in 2026, with a combined peak production of 6,000 boepd. That investment was described by a Shell official at the time as part of the company’s focus on “high-margin, lower carbon intensity barrels”.