Beacon Offshore Energy LLC, Houston, announced that it has commenced oil and natural gas production from the Zephyrus field, with production from the initial well beginning in late December 2025.
The Miocene-aged development is located in Mississippi Canyon Block 759, about 130 miles southeast of New Orleans, in water depths ranging from 3,100' to 3,600'.
The Zephyrus discovery well, Zephyrus #1, was drilled in 2023 and encountered oil in the Middle Miocene Cris “I” aged M2 sand. Beacon and its partners worked with Shell Offshore Inc. to tie the Zephyrus field back to existing West Boreas subsea infrastructure operated by Shell, with production processed at the Shell-operated Olympus platform in the Mars Corridor. The nine-mile subsea tieback incorporates a High Integrity Pressure Protection System and was designed to reduce emissions, lower development costs, and shorten the time to first oil.
Beacon has also drilled a second well, Zephyrus #2, to a total measured depth of 26,270'. The well encountered 116' net of pay, including the M2 sand currently producing in Zephyrus #1, as well as two additional Miocene sands in the M0 and UM1. Completion operations are underway, and Beacon expects production from Zephyrus #2 to begin by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Partners in the Zephyrus development include Houston Energy, HEQ II, Red Willow Offshore, Westlawn Americas Offshore, and Murphy Exploration & Production.
