Woodside kicks off Trion drilling campaign in Mexico

MEXICO CITY, March 10, 2026 – Woodside Energy has commenced drilling at the Trion ultra-deepwater oilfield in the Gulf of Mexico in partnership with Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), Woodside announced on Monday.

The campaign anticipates 24 subsea wells, with initial development plans calling for nine producer wells, seven water injectors and two gas injectors. Drilling will be executed by Transocean’s Deepwater Thalassa drillship, which arrived in Mexican waters on March 5, 2026. Supply vessels and logistics support services for the project will be deployed from the port of Tamaulipas.

Wells will be tied back to the 100,000-bopd Tláloc floating production unit, with output loaded onto the Chalchi floating storage and offloading unit, which has a capacity of 950,000 barrels.

Woodside and PEMEX reached a positive FID on the development in 2023 with a forecasted total project capex of USD 7.2 billion. Since then, EPC for associated subsea infrastructure and export systems have proceeded in line with project timelines to achieve first oil in 2028.

“The start of the drilling program represents a milestone for the Trion Project and for Mexico’s deepwater oil and gas sector. Trion is more than a significant resource – it is an opportunity to enhance Mexico’s energy security, build local capability and generate enduring economic value for the country,” said Woodside’s acting CEO Liz Westcott.

The Trion field was discovered by PEMEX in 2012, approximately 180 kilometres offshore Mexico in water depths of around 2,500 metres in the Perdido Fold Belt. It is estimated to hold 479 million boe of oil and gas. Woodside is the operator with a 60% interest, with PEMEX holding the remaining 40%.

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