Shell has awarded Houston-based Oilfield Service Professionals, LLC (OSP) the new technology development contract for the High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) mechanical suspension barriers & service remediation packers for the Sparta HPHT deepwater field development in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM).

OSP confirmed on 19 July that it had been formally awarded a technology contract to develop an integrated API 11D1 HPHT suspension & test system to be utilized within the Shell Sparta program starting around October 2025. 

The Sparta field will be in approximately 5,000-ft water depth located about 171 miles off the Louisiana coast in the GOM. Sparta’s design closely replicates the 100,000 BOPD Vito and Whale designs currently installed in the GOM.

“We are honored that Shell has awarded the Sparta HPHT new technology HPHT development, to OSP, following the successful development of other new technology projects within the GOM and other international locations. It is a strong affirmation of our team’s capabilities and the partnership between both parties,” said Blake Arabie, Senior Vice President, Technology & International of OSP.

“We are fully committed to executing this new technology project, including the development of multiple sizes with maximum pressure ratings exceeding 16,000-psi for use in harsh weather & well conditions, while delivering the technology to Shell both reliably and efficiently,” he added.

Sparta will be Shell’s 15th GOM deepwater host and is expected to begin the spudding process in 2025.

Shell operates Sparta with a 51% interest, with Norway’s Equinor holding the remaining 49%.

To read more about the Sparta project Click Here

image: Crowley