Shell’s Whale field is found in the Alaminos Canyon Block
Shell greenlights Whale venture
Gulf of Mexico FIDs may be waning, but latest approval shows they can still be viable
Shell has reached FID on the Whale development in the US Gulf of Mexico, the company announced on 26 July. The move comes at a time when deepwater FIDs on new standalone developments in the Gulf have become rare, and illustrates it is still possible to move forward with such projects. The FID announcement comes as Shell is stepping up its decarbonisation efforts. Indeed, the company says Whale will use energy-efficient gas turbines and compression systems, adding the Gulf has among the lowest greenhouse gas intensities in the world for producing oil. “Shell approving Whale does not come as a surprise to us, given the quality of the asset,” says Jared Kugler, a senior associate at data analyt
Also in this section
12 December 2025
The federal government is working with Alberta to improve the country’s access to Asian markets and reduce dependence on the US, but there are challenges to their plans
12 December 2025
The latest edition of our annual Outlook publication, titled 'The shape of energy to come: Creating unique pathways and managing shifting alliances', is available now
11 December 2025
The removal of the ban on oil and gas exploration and an overhaul of the system sends all the right messages for energy security, affordability and sustainability
10 December 2025
The economic and environmental cost of the seven-year exploration ban will be felt long after its removal
