Aphrodite spurs gas boost: Shell taps Subsea7 to breathe life into its new project

Luxembourg-domiciled Subsea7 has won a new multimillion-dollar assignment with Shell Trinidad and Tobago, a subsidiary of the UK-headquartered energy giant Shell, for a recently green-lighted gas project off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago.

Days after taking a final investment decision (FID) on the Aphrodite undeveloped gas field in the East Coast Marine Area (ECMA) offshore Trinidad and Tobago, Shell has tasked Subsea7 with the transportation and installation of subsea equipment for this development in Block 5a, which is located at water depths of up to 290 meters.

Thanks to a sizeable contract valued between $50 million and $150 million, project management and engineering activities will start immediately at the Luxembourg-domiciled player’s office in Houston, Texas, with offshore operations planned for 2027.

Craig Broussard, Senior Vice President for Subsea7 Gulf of Mexico, highlighted: “Engaging with Shell from the outset has been key to building trust and driving efficiencies. This award in Trinidad and Tobago reflects our growing presence in the region, as well as our ongoing commitment to safe, predictable project delivery while supporting local talent and resources.”

Shell expects to incrementally expand its Integrated Gas business with the start-up of Aphrodite, building on existing developments in the ECMA, perceived as one of the country’s most prolific gas-producing areas. This region is currently home to the company’s largest gas-producing fields in Trinidad and Tobago, including Dolphin, Starfish, Bounty, and Endeavour.

Once Aphrodite comes online, this gas field will serve as a backfill for the country’s Atlantic LNG facility, as the increased production will help to maximize the potential utilization of the operator’s existing assets.

This field development remains subject to receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals, with first production slated for 2027, bringing an estimated peak production of approximately 18,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) (107 MMscf/d).

Adam Lowmass, Senior Vice President and Country Chair of Shell Trinidad and Tobago, remarked: “This investment is testament to our commitment to help secure the energy future of Trinidad and Tobago on several fronts.

“By increasing the gas supply to Atlantic LNG, the project will not only serve to fortify the domestic gas market, it will also boost the local petrochemical and power-generation industries.”

The new job with Shell comes two months after Subsea7 got another one with the UK-headquartered energy giant for a floating production system (FPS), which will be deployed at a deepwater development in the Gulf of America, formerly known as the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

Recently, Subsea7 secured a contract to transport and install flexible pipelines, umbilicals, and associated subsea components for the connection of a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) and handle the pre-laying activities for an upcoming drilling campaign.

Meanwhile, Shell and its peer, BP, got news about a reversal of their previously approved licenses for gas fields straddling the maritime boundary between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago from the U.S. government’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).