- On 16 February, production started on the Vito platform in the US Gulf of Mexico (GoM).
According to the company’s website news release on February 16, 2023, operated by Shell Offshore Inc., a subsidiary of Shell plc, the deep-water Vito platform will produce an estimated 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day at peak. Equinor has a 36.89% interest in the field.
“Vito is a first-class asset in a key producing region for Equinor,” says Chris Golden, US country manager. “The US Gulf of Mexico delivers some of Equinor’s highest-value barrels, helping us meet society’s critical energy needs while maintaining our focus on reducing emissions towards becoming a net-zero energy company by 2050.”
Vito employs a simplified and cost-efficient host design that was rescoped in 2015, resulting in an ~80% reduction in lifetime CO2 emissions and more than 70% reduction in costs versus the original concept. Estimated recoverable resources are approximately 290 million barrels of oil equivalent.
Equinor is committed to long-term value creation in a low-carbon future. An optimised oil and gas portfolio is part of Equinor’s strategy to provide Always safe, High value, and Low carbon energy.
Facts about Vito
- Originally discovered in 2009.
- Platform located 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Venice, Louisiana, in the US Gulf of Mexico’s Mississippi Canyon area.
- Shell Offshore Inc., a subsidiary of Shell plc, is the operator (63.11%) with Equinor (36.89%) as partner.
- Semi-submersible platform with an estimated peak production of 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
- Water depth of approximately 4,000 feet (1,220 meters), with eight subsea wells to a depth of 31,000 feet (9,500 meters).
