Chevron Corporation  announced the start of oil production from the Whale semi-submersible platform in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Chevron U.S.A. Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, owns 40% working interest in Whale, with Shell Offshore Inc. owning 60% interest as operator.

The milestone is Chevron’s latest following a year when it achieved first production from its industry-first high-pressure Anchor project and commenced water injection operations at two projects to boost production at the company’s Jack/St. Malo and Tahiti facilities in the Gulf.

“Production from Whale brings Chevron another step closer to reaching 300,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by 2026,” said Bruce Niemeyer, president, Chevron Americas Exploration & Production. “As a leading leaseholder in the Gulf, where we produce some of the lowest carbon intensity oil and natural gas in the world, Chevron is well positioned to continue growing affordable, reliable production in the U.S. while delivering higher returns and cash flow.”

Estimated peak production is 100,000 gross boe/d, with up to 15 wells in the first phase of development. Featuring energy-efficient gas turbines and compression systems, Whale leverages a simplified design model that is expected to deliver lower emissions, lower costs and higher returns.

Whale is approximately 200 miles (320 km) southwest of Houston on Alaminos Canyon Block 773 in more than 8,600 feet (2,620 m) of water. It’s approximately 10 miles from the Shell-operated Perdido spar platform, where Chevron U.S.A. Inc. owns 37.5% interest.