Sparta: unlocking energy once thought out of reach
Under deep-sea pressures equivalent to the force of a plane concentrated on an area the size of a football, Shell’s latest project in the Gulf of America will deliver energy people rely on every day.
On June 3, 2026
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At a glance
- Sparta is Shell’s latest deep-water project in the Gulf of America, designed to safely produce oil and gas at pressures up to 20,000 pounds per square inch.
- Currently under construction, Sparta is expected to start operations in 2028 and produce up to 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, enough to fuel the daily journeys of about 2 million cars in the USA.
- Sparta will follow Shell’s simplified, replicable design first used on the Vito and Whale platforms and will be the first to feature compression equipment powered by electricity instead of gas.
- Shell is a leading producer in the Gulf of America with 10 production hubs today.
Thousands of metres below the waves in the Gulf of America, at a depth greater than Mount Everest is tall, lie oil reservoirs long considered inaccessible. At such depths, extreme pressures and thick salt layers have historically pushed conventional drilling systems beyond their limits.
To overcome these challenges, Shell’s Sparta development will access those oil resources using a new class of subsea “20K technology,” equipment designed to operate in pressures about a third higher than in most deep-water platforms.
“Imagine the force of a big passenger plane concentrated on an area the size of a football – that is what 20,000 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure represents,” says Martin Buchan, Shell’s Well Operations 20K Manager, who oversees engineering and operations for Sparta. “At these pressures, even small changes in the rock can quickly shift the forces in the well, so we need to monitor and adjust the pressure in real time to keep the well stable.”
Supporting energy supply
With construction and drilling underway, first production from Sparta is anticipated in 2028. At its peak, it is expected to produce up to 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, enough to fuel the daily journeys of about 2 million cars in the USA. It will also support Shell’s goal of sustaining at least 1.4 million barrels a day of liquids production through 2030.
The platform will follow Shell’s simplified, replicable design first used on the Vito and Whale platforms. This approach helps reduce costs and construction times. The Gulf of America already has some of the lowest greenhouse-gas-intensity oil production in Shell’s portfolio, and Sparta will help drive that intensity even lower. For example, its compression equipment, which helps move oil and gas through the system, is powered by electricity instead of gas.
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Designed for extreme pressures
At 20,000 psi, the well must behave like a high-pressure fire hose. Every connection must contain the extreme pressure because a single weak point can compromise the entire system. Shell engineers redesigned and tested each component, from the reservoir to the seabed wellhead, through the blowout preventer – a safety device that seals the well – and up through the pipe known as a riser that carries fluids to the drillship, which is a vessel designed to drill oil and gas wells.
Keeping the system stable while drilling through salt and into the reservoir required new methods. The team uses what is known as managed pressure drilling, supported by a subsea system that raises or lowers the mud level in the riser to fine-tune pressure. Positioned around 425 metres (1,400 feet) below the rig, it continually adjusts the pressure inside the well, allowing the drill bit to advance safely through challenging rock formations. This is paired with a high-density fluid system that protects the Palaeogene rock formation from damage.
Transcription of infographic
Transcription of infographic
Infographic on a dark grey background explaining what 20,000 psi of pressure feels like. The title reads: “What does 20,000 psi of pressure feel like?” A comparison scale lists: 2.5 psi (pressure felt when taking a step), 160 psi (maximum human bite force), 1,500 psi (force of a car-wash jet), 10,000 psi (force of hydraulic rescue “jaws of life”), and 20,000 psi (force equivalent to a plane pressing on an area the size of a football). A note explains this is the pressure a deep-water platform like Sparta has to deal with beneath the ocean surface. Yellow icons illustrate each example, and a large yellow airplane silhouette appears on the right.
Every part of the system exposed to pressure had to be reinforced. Stronger pipes, designed with advanced steel technology, carry fluids between the seabed and the surface, while precision-engineered valves regulate and isolate flow if required.
At the seabed, the 20K blowout preventer – an 18-metre-tall (60-foot) device weighing more than 10 heavy-duty trucks – acts as one of the system’s final safeguards. Mounted at the wellhead, it uses multiple redundant sealing mechanisms to shut in the well within seconds if abnormal pressures are detected.
“Every component undergoes extensive testing,” says Martin. “Shell’s experience in high-pressure, high-temperature fields such as Appomattox – our pioneering 15,000 psi Gulf of America development – shaped the standards Sparta follows.”
From construction to production
In the coming years, the team will complete drilling and start up the subsea systems to prepare for first production. Once operational, Sparta will help deliver the secure energy people rely on every day.
“Sparta is built by incredible people who are shaping the future of energy,” says Martin. “Day after day, they make complex work look effortless in conditions few ever experience, thousands of metres below the surface and under pressures found almost nowhere else on Earth.”
Frequently asked questions about Sparta and Shell’s deep-water operations
What is the Sparta platform?
What is the Sparta platform?
Sparta is a Shell deep-water platform designed to safely produce oil and gas from reservoirs with pressures up to 20,000 pounds per square inch.
Currently under construction, Sparta is expected to start production in the Gulf of America in 2028 and produce up to 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.
The platform will follow Shell’s simplified, replicable design first used on the Vito and Whale platforms and will be the first to feature compression equipment powered by electricity instead of gas.
How does Sparta fit into Shell’s deep-water portfolio?
How does Sparta fit into Shell’s deep-water portfolio?
Sparta is Shell’s eleventh development in the Gulf of America and the first to produce from reservoirs with pressures up to 20,000 pounds per square inch.
Shell’s deep-water experience in the Gulf of America stretches back five decades. In 1978, Shell’s Cognac platform marked a groundbreaking achievement as the first to produce oil in waters exceeding 300 metres (1,000 feet) in depth.
Today, as a leading producing leaseholder in the Gulf of America, we are leveraging our significant geological and technical expertise to deliver energy profitably and at lower costs, while reducing emissions.
The Gulf of America is our major Upstream production area in the USA. It is also a heartland for our wider deep-water operations, which include interests in Brazil — where Shell is the second-largest oil and gas producer — and Nigeria.
What does “deep water” mean in terms of oil and gas production?
What does “deep water” mean in terms of oil and gas production?
Deep-water drilling involves extracting oil and natural gas from beneath the ocean floor at significant depths, typically greater than 200 metres (around 656 feet).
This process requires specialised equipment and techniques to safely and efficiently navigate the challenging conditions of deep-water environments.
How is Shell decarbonising its deep-water operations?
How is Shell decarbonising its deep-water operations?
Shell is proactively managing the greenhouse gas intensity of our deep-water operations through innovative project designs, efficient operations, and strategic handling of late-life assets. In the Gulf of America, Shell’s production is among the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity in the world for producing oil.1
1 The reference to our Gulf of America production being among the lowest GHG intensity in the world is a comparison among other oil and gas producing members of the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers.
Why is new oil and gas production still needed today?
Why is new oil and gas production still needed today?
The role of oil and gas will be critical to the energy system for decades to come.
Shell believes continued investment in oil and gas will be needed to ensure a balanced energy transition. Our investments are needed to maintain oil and gas supplies as existing fields naturally decline at a rate of 4-5% a year, faster than reductions in demand.
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