Page 13: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Mar/Apr 2019)

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REGIONAL REPORT North America “I THINK THE WORD IS OUT.

THE GULF OF MEXICO IS BACK,

AND AMERICA IS INTERESTED IN

SEEING INVESTMENT THERE.”

SCOTT ANGELLE

DIRECTOR, BSEE tion, “that’s going to tell us a lot,” William Turner, senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, says of the ? rst Juras- sic reservoir to begin production. “Everyone is going to be eager to learn more about that reservoir. It will tell about future development and investment in future Jurassic plays.”

The Appomattox semi is a “monster” facility that has “tak- en almost an urban planning approach,” Turner says, noting its potential as a game changer for future investment oppor- tunities around Appomattox as a hub.

At the same time, Turner is keeping a watch out for ? nal investment decision at Chevron’s Anchor ? eld, which would be a play-opener in the lower tertiary. Analysis has indicated play-openers tend to be some of the most “signi? cant ? nds” in that play, he adds.

Angelle notes some signi? cant recent discoveries in the deepwater GoM include Chevron’s Ballymore ? nd, Shell’s

Whale discovery, and LLOG’s discovery on the Nearly

Headless Nick prospect.

“There has been a recent upward trend in drilling permits approved in both shallow and deep water,” Angelle says, not- ing a 44% increase in applications for permits to drill new wells, bypasses and sidetracks from 2016 to 2018. He says 141 permits to drill were issued in 2016 and 202 in 2018.

There’s been a 36% increase in wells spud on the outer con- tinental shelf, with 139 in 2016 and 190 in 2018.

“Folks believe that the commodity prices are where they need to be on the crude oil side to spur investment,” he says.

Angelle believes the country’s predictable and reliable

Source: BOEM regulatory regime, coupled with a focus on safety, is attract-

Mean undiscovered technically recoverable ing interest in developing the country’s resources. resources by type and region from BOEM’s 2016 assessment, which includes data and information “I think the word is out,” Angelle says. “The Gulf of Mex- available as of January 2014.

ico is back, and America is interested in seeing investment there and is making it as competitive as possible.”

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