Shell and INEOS Energy have announced their first oil discovery in the Gulf of America, following the confirmation of hydrocarbons presence at the Nashville exploration well—a deepwater Norphlet prospect. 

INEOS holds a 21% working interest in the discovery, while Shell is the operator with the remaining 79%. 

The Nashville well was drilled more than five miles (8km) beneath the seabed. 

It encountered hydrocarbons in the Norphlet formation, said to be one of the most promising deepwater formations in the region. 

INEOS Energy CEO David Bucknall said: “This is a good result for INEOS Energy and an important step in building our presence in the US Gulf where world-class resources are to be found and developed responsibly. 

“We believe Nashville will help strengthen energy security and provide reliable supplies for many years to come.” 

The well was drilled using Deepwater Proteus, which is claimed to be one of the world’s most advanced offshore rigs. 

Further technical work is underway to establish the size of the discovery. 

The Nashville discovery could be linked back to Shell’s nearby Appomattox production platform, which Shell operates and owns jointly with INEOS. 

INEOS Energy US Gulf business CEO Heather Osecki said: “The drilling results at Nashville are very encouraging and fully in line with what we hoped to find. 

“This discovery is an important first step in our plans to grow our existing assets while we look to further strengthen our position in the Gulf. We look forward to continuing our work to bring further value to the Appomattox host platform.” 

In May this year, INEOS signed an agreement with Covestro for the supply of natural gas for a period of up to eight years, commencing in 2027.