GATE Energy has won the commissioning management and execution contractor for Shell’s Sparta semi-submersible project in the US Gulf of Mexico.
The Texas-based company has been tasked to provide comprehensive life cycle support for the project, ensuring seamless delivery from conception to commissioning.
GATE Energy’s expertise includes owner’s engineering, construction management, and turnkey commissioning.
The Sparta project is modelled on Shell’s existing Vito and Whale designs, which deliver daily production capacities of 100,000 barrels. GATE Energy has played a role in the commissioning of both projects and is poised to extend its collaboration with Shell on Sparta.
Sparta will be Shell’s first replicable offshore platform equipped with all-electric topside compression systems, designed to substantially reduce carbon emissions from its operations.
GATE Energy commissioning president Mark Myhre said: “Over the last several years, GATE has successfully delivered multiple projects based on this model, including Vito and Whale, leveraging our global capabilities. We are excited to build on that foundation to deliver Sparta safely and efficiently.
“The all-electric topside compression technology represents a significant step forward for sustainability in offshore operations, and we look forward to ensuring its successful commissioning.”
In December 2023, Shell and Equinor took the final investment decision (FID) for the Sparta deepwater development. The project targets an estimated recoverable resource volume of 244 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) and spans four outer continental shelf (OCS) blocks within the Garden Banks area.
The semi-submersible production host will be installed in water depths exceeding 1,400m.
Sparta is projected to reach peak production of approximately 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), with operations expected to commence in 2028.
The development plan includes drilling and tying back eight production wells to the floating production unit. The platform’s design will replicate nearly 95% of Whale’s hull and 85% of its topside components, aligning with Shell’s strategy to standardise platform designs for efficiency and cost management.
Discovered in 2012, Sparta is located 275km off the coast of Louisiana. Shell Offshore, a subsidiary of Shell, operates the field with a 51% ownership stake, while Equinor Gulf of Mexico, a subsidiary of Equinor, holds the remaining 49%.
Earlier this year, TechnipFMC was awarded an integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (iEPCI) contract for the project. The scope of the contract includes manufacturing and installing subsea production systems, umbilicals, risers, and flowlines, further advancing the development of Sparta’s offshore infrastructure.
