HOUSTON, April 1 - Shell is engaged in advanced discussions with Venezuelan authorities over development rights to four substantial offshore areas located near Trinidad and Tobago, according to people familiar with the talks. The proposed expansion would add to Shell's long-standing effort to monetize the Dragon gas field and could bring together a portfolio of blocks that, combined, represent roughly 20 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Shell has pursued the 4.2-trillion-cubic-feet Dragon discovery in Venezuelan waters for several years and may reach a final investment decision on that project by the end of this year, the people said. The current negotiations aim to broaden the company's footprint beyond Dragon to include adjacent blocks tied to some of Venezuela's largest offshore natural gas accumulations.
Scope of the proposed acreage and reserves
Sources said Shell is seeking access to three fields that, together with Dragon, form part of the Mariscal Sucre complex off Venezuela's eastern coast. Those Mariscal Sucre fields include Dragon, Rio Caribe, Patao and Mejillones and total approximately 12 trillion cubic feet of gas. In addition, Shell is targeting the 7.3-tcf Loran offshore area, which is part of a cross-border reservoir that extends into Trinidad's waters. Taken together, the areas under consideration amount to about 20 trillion cubic feet of combined reserves, according to the people familiar with the negotiations.
In March, Shell executives signed preliminary agreements in Caracas with the administration of interim President Delcy Rodriguez to advance Dragon and to explore development options for two onshore Venezuelan fields, Carito and Pirital, the sources said. Those preliminary accords are part of a broader effort to secure access to gas that could be monetized through liquefied natural gas.
Processing strategy - Trinidad as the export hub
Shell expects Venezuelan gas to be sent to Trinidad for processing into LNG for export. Routing gas to Trinidad would support the Atlantic LNG facility, where Shell holds a 45 percent stake and which has been operating below its installed capacity because of insufficient feedstock. The Atlantic LNG project originally had a capacity of 15.5 million metric tons per annum but has been curtailed to 12 mtpa, and it shipped under 9 mtpa last year, based on LSEG data.
Shell already operates the Trinidad portion of the Loran-Manatee field. On the Venezuela side of Loran, Chevron holds stakes in two blocks that include the Loran area. Chevron is relinquishing its interests in those Venezuelan blocks as part of a separate deal tied to expanding extra-heavy oil projects in the Orinoco Belt, the people said. Loran is expected to be re-offered soon, two sources added.
"The proximity to Manatee makes Loran an attractive investment opportunity for Shell," Shell said in an email response on Tuesday, confirming its interest in the additional areas.
Other Venezuelan state and government entities, including PDVSA, Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Energy and Chevron, did not provide comment in response to requests, the people said.
Planned development approach
One person familiar with the negotiations described a plan to drill subsea wells on the Venezuelan side of the Loran block and tie them back to Shell's Manatee platform in Trinidad. The source said that once control of the rest of the field is obtained, tying back to existing Trinidad infrastructure would be a straightforward way to produce the entire block efficiently.
Corporate strategy and potential project approvals
Shell's leadership has signaled that the company is considering additional projects in Venezuela contingent on improved fiscal and legal terms. Shell's chief executive indicated at a recent energy conference that the company could greenlight up to two projects in the country this year if conditions allow, with an initial focus on gas suitable for LNG monetization.
Trinidad and Shell have long sought to increase domestic gas output and to secure nearby supplies from Venezuela. At its closest point, Venezuela is only about six miles from Trinidad, and the Mariscal Sucre fields sit nearer to Trinidad's infrastructure than to domestic Venezuelan platforms. Venezuela's offshore gas remains largely undeveloped despite the scale of the resource.
Complications involving prior assignments and Russian participation
Some of the Mariscal Sucre blocks have previously been tied up through agreements that granted interests to foreign companies. PDVSA earlier signed deals assigning interests in Patao and Mejillones to Russia's Rosneft. Those Rosneft assets were later transferred to the state-owned Russian company Roszarubezhneft in 2020, but the blocks have not been developed, the people said.
Russian participation in certain blocks is a complicating factor for completing a deal with Shell, the sources said. "We are making progress, and yes, the assignment of the fields to the Russian company is a problem, but we will get over it. I am sure," a Shell source said.
Since last year, PDVSA has been seeking a company to develop the Rio Caribe field under a shared production contract, though it was unclear whether a preliminary agreement has been signed for that block, the sources said.
Implications for regional LNG markets
If Shell secures access to the additional Venezuelan acreage and advances development, the company would route significant new supply into the Atlantic LNG system in Trinidad, potentially supporting higher export volumes from an underutilized facility. The plan centers on monetizing gas through LNG rather than domestic Venezuelan gas processing, and it relies on tie-backs to existing Trinidadian infrastructure to accelerate production.
At the same time, unresolved assignments, cross-border resource ownership and prior commitments to other companies create material negotiation points that Shell and Venezuelan authorities will need to address before final investment decisions are possible.
Summary of the situation
- Shell is in advanced talks to develop four large offshore areas near Trinidad and Tobago in Venezuela's waters.
- The company is pursuing the 4.2-tcf Dragon field and adjacent Mariscal Sucre blocks, plus the 7.3-tcf Loran area, totaling about 20 tcf of gas.
- Venezuelan gas would be processed in Trinidad for LNG exports, supporting the Atlantic LNG facility where Shell holds a major stake.