SUBSCRIBE
PROFILE

Shell awards key contract to Subsea 7 for Sparta offshore project in Gulf of Mexico

Shell has awarded Subsea 7 a contract valued between $50mn and $150mn to install a floating production system for its Sparta offshore project, located off the Louisiana coast.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

SUBSCRIBE - 99$/year

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

Shell Offshore Inc., a subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch energy company Shell plc, has awarded a substantial contract to Subsea 7 S.A., an offshore engineering and services provider, for its deepwater Sparta development located in Garden Banks block 959 in the Gulf of Mexico. The site lies off southeastern Louisiana, with water depths reaching up to 1,635 metres.

The contract, described as “sizeable,” is valued between $50mn and $150mn and covers the transportation and installation of a floating production system. Engineering and project management operations will commence immediately from Subsea 7’s Houston office, while offshore activities are scheduled to begin in 2027.

Strategic development for Shell and Equinor

The Sparta project marks Shell’s fifteenth deepwater facility in the region, following previous semi-submersible installations at the Vito and Whale sites. The final investment decision was made in December 2023, with production expected to begin in 2028.

The project is 51% owned by Shell, which also acts as the main operator, and 49% by Norwegian firm Equinor ASA through its Gulf of Mexico operational unit. Sparta is expected to reach a peak production of 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with estimated recoverable resources of 244mn barrels of oil equivalent.

Reuse of existing technical assets

Shell plans to apply a replication strategy for this project, reusing approximately 95% of the hull of the Whale Floating Production Unit (FPU) and 85% of its topsides. This method aims to shorten deployment times and improve cost control on complex offshore projects.

A parallel integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract has been awarded to TechnipFMC, which will deploy high-pressure subsea production systems for site development.

Renewed partnership with Subsea 7

The collaboration between Shell and Subsea 7 continues following previous achievements, such as the development of the Vito field. This new contract underlines Subsea 7’s growing presence in deepwater infrastructure projects, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico basin.

  • Popular on energynews.pro
South Korea under pressure from the IEA to liberalise its electricity market
Iberdrola launches a public offer to acquire 100% of Neoenergia in Brazil
KEPCO and ENEC strengthen alliance on nuclear and artificial intelligence
Iberdrola sells 757 MW of French onshore assets to Technique Solaire
Iberdrola reshapes its portfolio to become a leader in transatlantic regulated networks
UK locks in oil windfall until 2030 with 78% tax pressure
The United Kingdom is replacing its exceptional tax with a permanent price mechanism, maintaining one of the world’s highest fiscal pressures and reshaping the North Sea’s investment attractiveness for oil and gas operators.
Pakistan becomes structural fuel oil exporter, disrupting Asian market balance
Pakistan confirms its exit from domestic fuel oil with over 1.4 Mt exported in 2025, transforming its refineries into export platforms as Asia faces a structural surplus of high- and low-sulphur fuel oil.
Aksa Enerji to build 119 MW thermal power plant in Burkina Faso
Turkish company Aksa Enerji has signed a 20-year contract with Sonabel for the commissioning of a thermal power plant in Ouagadougou, aiming to strengthen Burkina Faso’s energy supply by the end of 2026.
CPC pipeline restarts after strikes, but pressure remains on Kazakhstan
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium resumed loadings in Novorossiisk after a Ukrainian attack, but geopolitical tensions persist over Kazakh oil flows through this strategic Black Sea corridor.
Hungary doubles oil shipments to Serbia amid US sanctions on refinery
Hungary increases oil product exports to Serbia to offset the imminent shutdown of the NIS refinery, threatened by US sanctions over its Russian majority ownership.
Pemex increases domestic refining despite continued decline in crude oil production
Faced with falling oil production, Pemex is expanding local refining through Olmeca, aiming to reduce fuel imports and optimise its industrial capacity under fiscal pressure.
Petrobras cuts investment to $109 bn in new five-year plan
Brazil’s state oil company will reduce its capital spending by 2%, hit by falling crude prices, marking a strategic shift under Lula’s presidency.
TotalEnergies sells Bonga stake for $510mn to Shell and Eni
TotalEnergies has finalised the sale of its 12.5% stake in Nigeria’s offshore Bonga oilfield for $510mn, boosting Shell and Eni’s positions in the strategic deepwater production site.
Belgrade begins legal procedure to seize Moscow-controlled Serbian refinery
Serbia is preparing a budget law amendment to enable the takeover of NIS, a refinery under US sanctions and owned by Russian groups, to avoid an imminent energy shutdown.
Dangote selects Honeywell to expand refinery capacity to 1.4 million barrels/day
Nigeria’s Dangote refinery selects US-based Honeywell to supply technology that will double its crude processing capacity and expand its petrochemical output.
Baghdad maintains oil output by isolating sanctioned Russian assets
Iraq secures production by bypassing US sanctions through local payments, energy-for-energy swaps, and targeted suspension of financial flows to Lukoil to protect West Qurna-2 exports.
BP partially restarts Olympic Pipeline but leaves 60% of capacity offline
Restarting Olympic Pipeline’s 16-inch line does not restore full supply to Oregon and Seattle-Tacoma airport, both still exposed to logistical risks and regional price tensions.
India’s Russian oil imports to drop sharply from December
Faced with tightened sanctions from the United States and European Union, Indian refiners are drastically reducing their purchases of Russian crude from December, according to industry sources.
Serbia’s Pancevo refinery faces shutdown as US sanctions cut crude supply
Serbia’s only refinery, operated by NIS, may be forced to halt production this week, weakened by US sanctions targeting its Russian shareholders.
Cameroon: Glencore records a 31% drop in oil volumes
Glencore's attributable production in Cameroon dropped by 31% over nine months, adding pressure on public revenues as Yaoundé revises its oil and budget forecasts amid field maturity and targeted investment shifts.
Contrarian strategies outperform hedge fund tracking on Brent market
The profitability of speculative positioning strategies on Brent is declining, while contrarian approaches targeting extreme sentiment levels are proving more effective, marking a significant regime shift in oil trading.
ConocoPhillips, Repsol and Santos revive Alaskan oil with Nuna and Pikka
Alaska is set to record its highest oil production increase in 40 years, driven by two key projects that extend the operational life of the TAPS pipeline and reinforce the United States' strategic presence in the Arctic.
TotalEnergies strengthens position in Nigeria with 90% stake in OPL257
TotalEnergies increases its stake to 90% in Nigeria’s offshore block OPL257 following an asset exchange deal with Conoil Producing Limited.
TotalEnergies and Chevron compete for 40% stake in Mopane oil field in Namibia
TotalEnergies and Chevron are seeking to acquire a 40% stake in the Mopane oil field in Namibia, owned by Galp, as part of a strategy to secure new resources in a high-potential offshore basin.
Rosneft sells 11% of KPC to ease sanctions pressure
The reduction of Rosneft’s stake in Kurdistan Pipeline Company shifts control of the main Kurdish oil pipeline and recalibrates the balance between US sanctions, export financing and regional crude governance.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

START - 99$/year

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.