Offshore staff
HOUSTON -- Shell has discovered oil at the Vicksburg prospect in 7,500 ft (2,286 m) of water in DeSoto Canyon blocks 353 and 397 and Mississippi Canyon block 393, in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (EGOM). Shell is operator with 57½ %; Nexen has 25%; and Plains Exploration & Production Co. has 17½%.
Shell says the discovery was drilled to 25,400 ft (7,742 m) and encountered a hydrocarbon column of approximately 300 ft (91 m) using the Transocean's semisubmersibleDeepwater Nautilus.
"The results from Vicksburg are encouraging," says Annell Bay, vice president of Exploration for Shell in the Americas. "We are excited about the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and our ability to become a key player in this emerging area. Shell has a significant lease holding in the EGOM from which we continue to mature opportunities for drilling. We were also an active bidder in the EGOM during Lease Sale 205 where we were apparent high bidder on 36 blocks."
02/01/2008
