U.S. oilfield services company Weatherford International has won a contract to deliver drilling services for a project offshore Mexico operated by the Mexican subsidiary of Australia’s oil and gas giant Woodside Energy.
Under the deal, Weatherford will provide managed pressure drilling (MPD) services for the deepwater Trion project. The multi-year contract covers 8 wells initially, with a possible extension to 24 wells.
Girish Saligram , Weatherford’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: “We are proud to support Woodside Energy on this historic project. The Trion development represents a defining moment for Mexico’s energy sector, and Weatherford is honored to contribute with trusted MPD technologies that improve safety, efficiency, and well delivery. This award further strengthens our position as a trusted partner for complex offshore operations.”
The U.S. player intends to deploy its proprietary Victus intelligent MPD system at Trion. Featuring algorithm-driven pressure control, real-time downhole data for automated responses, and what the firm claims to be the industry’s first field-proven deepwater riser system for floating rigs, the system is used to make drilling safer and more efficient.
The Trion project is located approximately 180 kilometers off the coast of Mexico’s Tamaulipas at a depth of around 2,500 meters, 30 kilometers south of the US-Mexico maritime border. Discovered by Mexico’s PEMEX in 2012, the project is being developed as a 60:40 joint venture between Woodside, which is the operator, and the Mexican player.
The project’s initial phase envisages the drilling of 18 wells, with a total of 24 wells planned over its lifetime. First oil is scheduled for 2028.
Hailed as the first oil production from Mexico’s deepwater, Trion will feature a floating production unit (FPU) with a production capacity of 100,000 barrels per day, connected to a 950,000-barrel capacity floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit.
Hyundai Heavy Industries, which is building the Trion FPU, held a steel-cutting ceremony in November 2024. SBM Offshore, which has been entrusted with the construction of the FSO unit, held a ceremony to mark the first steel cut of the disconnectable turret mooring system for the Trion FSO project in February 2025.
In April, SLB won a deal to oversee the delivery of 18 ultra-deepwater wells at Trion. The firm plans to use an integrated services approach and AI-enabled drilling capabilities to improve operational efficiency and well quality.