Shell has made a final investment decision (FID) to implement a water injection project at its Vito asset, located in the Gulf of Mexico. This project, expected to start in 2027, aims to improve oil recovery in the Vito field by increasing the field’s production capacity through the use of water injection technologies directly into the reservoir formation.
The efficiency of water injection technology
Water injection is a secondary recovery technique in which water is injected into the reservoir to displace oil to production wells while restoring reservoir pressure. In the case of the Vito field, this technology will allow Shell to extract additional barrels of high-margin, lower-carbon oil.
The Vito field is known to have one of the lowest greenhouse gas(GHG) intensities in the world for oil production. Zoë Yujnovich, Shell’s Director of Integrated Gas and Upstream, commented on the project:“This investment will allow us to obtain additional high-margin, lower-carbon barrels from our upstream business, while maximizing our potential in the Vito field.
The three water injection wells in the Vito field have already been drilled as pre-producers, and the water injection will be used to displace oil to adjacent wells, thus increasing oil oil recovery. This method has been tested in other Shell-operated fields, proving effective in improving production over time.
The projection and future of Shell’s project
The water injection project in the Vito field represents an essential part of Shell’s long-term strategy to maintain and increase production in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, the success of this project is expected not only to improve the field’s operational efficiency, but also to serve as a model for future enhanced recovery developments in other areas operated by the company.
In addition, Shell remains committed to innovation in its operations to reduce carbon emissions and move toward more sustainable and efficient production of energy resources.
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Source and photo:Shell