The second development well at the Monument oilfield in the United States is about to start drilling

U.S. independent oil and gas producer Talos Energy has disclosed that the first development well at the Monument field, located in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico, has been drilled. The operator, Beacon Offshore Energy, is preparing to spud the second development well, after which completion operations will be carried out on both wells. The project remains on track to achieve first oil by the end of 2026, with initial total production estimated at 20,000–30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

The first development well is located in Walker Ridge Block 315, drilled to a total measured depth of 32,250 ft, and encountered 245 ft of net vertical pay in the structural high. Beacon stated that the drilling results are consistent with pre project predictions, indicating that the target Lower Wilcox reservoir characteristics match those obtained during the exploration and appraisal phases. The operator did not disclose the specific spud date for the second well.

Monument is situated in Walker Ridge Blocks 271, 272, 315 and 316. The project comprises two production wells and approximately 17 miles of subsea pipeline, tied back to the Beacon operated Shenandoah floating production facility. Talos disclosed that the project has secured firm processing capacity of 20,000 barrels per day, and that after the initial two wells are completed, they will be connected to the existing production system.

The Shenandoah floating production facility is located in Walker Ridge Block 52, about 150 miles south of the Louisiana coast, in a water depth of approximately 5,800 ft. Its nominal oil processing capacity is 120,000 barrels per day. Navitas Petroleum noted that the facility’s oil processing capacity was previously increased from 100,000 to 120,000 barrels per day, which includes capacity set aside for the Monument subsea tie back project.

The Monument project reached final investment decision in March 2024. Beacon Offshore Energy holds a total working interest of 41.67% and acts as operator, Talos Energy holds 29.76%, and Navitas Petroleum holds 28.57%. Following the completion of drilling of the second well, the project will move into the completion phase for both wells, subsea hook up, and commissioning for start up.

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