Beacon Offshore Energy LLC has started Phase 1 oil and natural gas production from the first four wells of Shenandoah field, 150 miles off the Louisiana coast. The 25,000-tonne Shenandoah floating production system (FPS), stationed in Walker Ridge 52 at a water depth of 5,800 ft, has been placed into service with a nameplate capacity of 120,000 bo/d and 140 MMcfd.
Beacon expects to ramp up the Phase 1 wells during third-quarter 2025 with a target aggregate deliverability of 100,000 bo/d. Phase 2 will include two additional wells and a subsea booster pump, with the fifth Shenandoah producer expected to be drilled and completed by mid-2026.
Shenandoah reserves, at reservoir depths of about 30,000-ft TVD, are being developed using 20,000-psi technology which Beacon expects to apply to development of other similarly situated fields in the Inboard Wilcox trend. Shenandoah FPS was designed as a regional host, enabling development of additional resources including the Beacon-operated Monument and Shenandoah South discoveries. Together with Shenandoah, Beacon expects these fields to hold recoverable resources of nearly 600 MMboe.
Beacon has also sanctioned development of the Shenandoah South discovery in Walker Ridge 95 in water depths ranging 5,800-6,000 ft. The field’s proximity to the Shenandoah FPS will enable development as a subsea tieback via a 3-mile flowline and dedicated riser connection to Shenandoah FPS.
Shenandoah South is expected to include drilling and completion of two wells with initial production from the first well expected in second-quarter 2028. Beacon estimates a total of 74 MMboe of 2P resources for Shenandoah South. The company is partnering with Houston Energy, HEQ Deepwater LLC, and Navitas Petroleum LP in developing Shenandoah South.
The Shenandoah FPS sailed away from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, in December 2024. Danos Operations Services will provide production services for the vessel (OGJ Online, July 1, 2025).
