Shell Exploration & Production Co. has ramped up production from its joint venture Llano field in the Gulf of Mexico, the company said Monday. The Llano field, located about 200 miles southwest of New Orleans in 2,600 feet of water, is producing 26 MMcf/d of natural gas and 10,500 bbl of oil from one well, and a second well is planned to be on production later this month.

Shell is operator and holds a 26.5% interest, Amerada Hess a 50% interest and ExxonMobil Corp. holds the remaining 22.5% interest.

The field, which is located in Garden Banks 385 and 386, produces through an 11.5 mile sub-sea flowline to Shell’s Auger Platform. Processing capacity of 25,000 bbl/d and 75 MMcf/d is reserved for Llano. The subsea system consists of two wells tied back to Auger via a pipe-in-pipe looped flow line. Llano is Shell’s second project to use 15,000 pounds per square inch (psi) subsea equipment. Total development costs were approximately $215 million, and the project was completed on time and within the allocated budget.

“This is the fifth subsea system that we have tied back to Auger,” said Gaurdie Banister, technical director for Shell EP Americas. “This tieback allows the Llano owners to efficiently leverage Shell’s existing infrastructure for their mutual benefit. Auger is Shell’s most mature tension leg platform — having just passed its tenth year of production — and remains a key infrastructure point for developments in the area, maximizing value for both host and satellite owners.”

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