By Christie U. Omonigho
Global energy giant – SHELL has on Tuesday announced that it has been able to reach a positive final investment decision (FID) on its Aphrodite gas project offshore Trinidad and Tobago.
Energy Window International (Media) learnt from Reuters that the project would be producing its first gas in 2027. The project is expected to reach a peak production of 18,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day, according to the report.
Energy Window International (Media) also gathered that Shell is a 45% shareholder in Trinidad’s Atlantic LNG plant which has a capacity to produce 12 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) of the “superchilled” gas, but has been plagued by a shortfall of natural gas, which also means, according to the report, that Shell has not been able to get its full share of over 5.5 MTPA of LNG from the plant.
“Once online, this gas field will serve as a backfill for the country’s Atlantic LNG facility,” Shell was quoted to have said.
The Trump administration was reported to have revoked a license allowing Shell and Trinidad and Tobago to develop the Dragon gas project in neighboring Venezuela that was intended to provide Atlantic LNG with much needed gas.
Reuters reported Shell as saying that Aphrodite will allow it (Shell) to incrementally expand its integrated gas business by building on existing developments in the east coast marine area (ECMA), one of Trinidad’s most prolific gas-producing areas.
“The ECMA is currently home to Shell’s largest gas-producing fields in the country including Dolphin, Starfish, Bounty and Endeavour,” Reuters quotes Shell as saying.
Energy Window International (Media) has as well gathered that the Royal Dutch Shell produces just over 600 million cubic feet per day of natural gas in Trinidad and the increased production from Aphrodite will help it maximize the utilization of its existing assets.