Shell Pipeline Company LP announced the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Rome Pipeline, an offshore pipeline construction project increasing access between Shell's Green Canyon Block 19 (GC-19) pipeline hub platform and the Fourchon Junction facility on the Louisiana Gulf Coast.
The pipeline will bring additional capacity to Shell's extensive Gulf of Mexico (GoM) footprint, expanding support for domestic oil production in the western and central area of the GoM.
"This investment will reinforce Shell's strategic position in the US Gulf of Mexico through enhanced oil transport capacity, flexibility and efficiency," said Andrew Smith, Shell's Executive Vice President of Trading and Supply.
In conjunction with this announcement, Shell and BP America Production Company ("bp") have entered into an agreement for the Rome Pipeline to export 100% of the oil production from bp's recently sanctioned Kaskida project in the Keathley Canyon area.
Shell to add pipeline capacity in the Gulf of Mexico
Shell’s Green Canyon Block 19 pipeline hub platform (courtesy of Shell)
The Rome Pipeline will run adjacent to existing corridor pipelines and will extend approximately 100 miles in length. It will originate from Shell's GC-19 pipeline hub platform which serves as a destination for several existing deep-water fields in the GoM due to its connections to most major crude oil markets in Texas and Louisiana.
Building on Shell's experience in constructing and safely operating pipelines, including nearly 3,000 miles of pipeline in Louisiana and the GoM waters off the Louisiana coast, the Rome Pipeline will draw upon that expertise and Shell's unwavering commitment to safety.
Pending applicable permitting and regulatory agency approvals, the Rome Pipeline is projected to begin operation in 2028.
