The Age (Australia): Shell starts Gulf of Mexico production: September 3, 2005 - 10:54AM
Shell Oil said it has begun producing crude oil and natural gas from its Cougar and Enchilada units in the Gulf of Mexico.
"Today we began producing from our Cougar and Enchilada assets in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Yellowhammer Gas Processing Plant, in Mobile Bay, Alabama, is now operating," the company said in a statement.
Shell did not elaborate on production levels.
The Enchilada unit, about 300 kilometres southwest of New Orleans, has a peak daily production from its two platforms of 32,800 barrels of crude and 52 million cubic metres of gas, according to the Shell website.
Shell's Cougar platform is part of its Popeye field, about 225 kilometres south of New Orleans in 610 metres of water. Three wells in the Popeye field have had a combined daily production rate as high as 50 million cubic metres and 9,000 barrels of condensate.
The Yellowhammer plant is about 32 kilometres south of Mobile and can process 60 million cubic metres of natural gas each day.
Shell also said it may be able to restart its hurricane-hit Motiva Convent refinery in Louisiana as early as Sunday, and its Motiva Norco refinery by the middle of next week.
The Convent refinery has a capacity of 230,000 barrels per day and the Norco refinery is rated at 240,000 bpd.
"Repair work at the Motiva Convent Refinery should be completed this weekend and start-up of the refinery could occur as early as this Sunday," Shell said in a statement.
The Convent refinery is located 48 kilometres southeast of Baton Rouge.
Repairs are still under way at its Motiva Norco Refinery, and that could restart operations "in the middle of next week", the company said. The Norco refinery is adjacent to the Mississippi River, about 32 kilometres west of New Orleans.
"Both plants will be brought up gradually and safely towards full production over several days once start-ups begin," Shell said.
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