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
28 April 2026
Oil traders warning of $200/bl oil are wrong, and the market should be wary of proclamations that the impact of the oil shortage has only begun to be felt and a that a ‘harsh adjustment’ is coming—even for industrialised nations
28 April 2026
Restoring supply from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq involves complexities far beyond simply adjusting operational controls
28 April 2026
Datacentres will guzzle power at a ferocious rate, but the impact on wider energy markets will be far more complex than previously thought
28 April 2026
The key energy player faces balancing regional routes, political complexities, and creating a clear strategic vision for energy security
