**Shell Sanctions Waterflood Project at Gulf of Mexico’s Vito Field**
In a significant move aimed at enhancing its deep-water operations in the United States, **Shell Offshore Inc.**, a subsidiary of Shell plc, has taken the final investment decision (FID) on a waterflood project at its Vito asset in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. This initiative involves injecting water into the reservoir formation to displace additional oil, thereby re-pressurizing the reservoir and increasing oil recovery rates.
Scheduled to commence in 2027, the waterflood project is designed to significantly boost production capacity at the Vito field. The process of injecting water to push oil towards adjacent production wells is a primary method of secondary recovery in the oil and gas industry. Shell has already drilled three pre-production water injection wells in preparation for this initiative.
The Vito field, which spans four Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) blocks in the Mississippi Canyon, was discovered in July 2009. The field is situated in approximately 4,000 feet of water, roughly 75 miles south of Venice, Louisiana, and 150 miles southeast of New Orleans. Firstly achieving oil production in February 2023, the field has been operational for less than two years.
In 2015, Shell underwent a comprehensive redesign of the Vito host, resulting in an impressive 80% reduction in CO2 emissions over the facility’s lifetime. This redesign also led to a cost reduction of over 70% from the original design concept. This significant reduction in emissions underscores Shell’s commitment to operational efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Shell operates the Vito field with a 63.11% interest, while its partner, Equinor, holds the remaining 36.89%. The waterflood project is expected to increase recoverable resource volume by 60 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe). This increase is classified as 2P (proved and probable) and 2C (