OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT OF PIMIENTA FORMATION SHALE

Abstract

Offshore development of shale formations has not been implemented in any country to date and is considered economically unviable. The reason is not geology but the development model: under linear depletion, a shale well recovers only a small fraction of the reservoir's potential, and the high CAPEX of offshore drilling does not pay back. This paper shows that this constraint is removed by switching to cyclic development, based on controlled regeneration of hydrocarbons from the kerogen's residual generation potential (S2). The Pimienta formation within Mexico's Gulf of Mexico waters forms a unique combination of conditions — continuation of the shale mega-formation onto the shelf at water depths of 0–50 m with preservation of reservoir properties — that makes Mexico the only country where offshore shale development is technically and economically achievable. A self-elevating production platform concept (SEPP, Isla de Pimienta) is proposed, with a jacking reserve of up to 80–100 m, an accelerated “24+2” reserve-replenishment cycle, full depletion of a location within 9–10 years, and a formalized Definition of Done criterion for leaving a location; a single unit serially serves 2–3 locations without new construction. A program of three offshore pilot projects is proposed from the mid-2030s, covering different fluid types, together with a dedicated fiscal regime for them. The platform network is shown to form dual-purpose infrastructure — the region's largest environmental monitoring system, including early detection of sargassum mats and collection of marine plastic.