A group of young engineers who expanded the physical and technological boundaries of Gulf of Mexico (GoM) production became future leaders in Shell's push into the ultra deep. In 1987, industry pundits had dubbed die GoM the "dead sea." Oil was around USD15 a barrel, and drilling in 2,000 ft (610 m) of water seemed impossible to most. The promise of hydrocarbons was there, and Shell continued to acquire deep-water leases, despite the fact that the technology to develop them did not yet exist. As geologists pored over seismic data, a talented group of young engineers began work in earnest to develop the company's first tension-leg platform (TLP), later known as Auger.
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