Maximizing Potential from Deep Space to Deep-water
A skilled workforce in Ingleside, Texas, is fabricating modules to be sent offshore, to continue providing secure energy for America.
After winning a school science fair, Bethany Massey declared she would be an astronaut when she grew up. She attended space camp every summer to help get her closer to that dream. As the youngest of four siblings, she holds the words of her parents close to her even today: work hard and you can achieve anything.
Although the moon wasn’t Bethany’s next mission, she translated her inspiration and parent’s words to propel herself into creating a career in which she could make a positive impact to those around her.
Fast forward to present day, Bethany has managed projects in the energy field from downstream to new energy projects with wind turbines, and now subsea with installations thousands of feet under the ocean – all along holding her mantra to improve science, people, projects, or communities in any way she could.
Read the transcript
Read the transcript
Duration: 3:19 minutes
Description:
This video follows Bethany’s work as a project engineer for Shell, building large-scale modules for the Vito platform, enhancing its oil production and ensuring future energy security.
EF24 - Vito Waterflood - Picture Lock Transcript
[Background music plays]
The background score begins with a solitary saxophone accompanied by gentle electronic keys, gradually transitioning into an upbeat country rock rhythm. It builds with fast-paced percussion, flows into a sleek electronic segment, and finally settles into a calming piano instrumental, with The Sound of Shell theme interwoven throughout.
Video footage
A drone shot captures a construction site emerging from the night at the break of dawn, its towering cranes and skeletal modules illuminated by the soft glow of artificial lights, as long shadows stretch across the ground and deep red hues burn along the horizon.
Bethany
My name’s Bethany, and I'm a project engineer.
Video footage
Another aerial drone shot reveals the construction site at dawn, with early light beginning to spread across the scene. In the distance, a large circle of figures can be seen gathered. A low-angle shot captures Bethany and the team in full safety gear performing hand presses at the still-dark construction site, with a crane and modules rising in the background.
Bethany
Growing up, my dad and mom told us, work hard and you can achieve anything.
Video footage
Close-up footage captures Bethany speaking to the off-camera interviewer, set against the warm domestic backdrop of a cozy room, with a table, flowers on a countertop and various softly blurred items adding to the inviting atmosphere.
Bethany
After winning my first science fair, my dream was to be an astronaut.
Video footage
A vehicle with its headlamps on drives toward the camera, passing a series of green traffic cones on site, with the massive modules looming in the dark background. As the sequence shifts, another vehicle drives away from the camera, while in the distance, a man in full safety gear walks further into the site, passing a row of red traffic cones.
Bethany
And it wasn't that I let go of my childhood dream. It was just that I realized that my dream was to make a positive impact to those around me.
Video footage
Drone shots of the site, intercut with closer views, capture Bethany and the team standing in a wide circle performing their morning exercises as the sky gradually brightens overhead.
HSSE Lead
We all talk about we’re a work family, right? We want to take care of our family, right? We’re going to rely on your expertise to do it right.
Video footage
A series of shots capture the circle of gathered team members and highlight the HSSE Lead as he delivers his motivational speech for the day.
Bethany
I never imagined that I would be working on projects of this scale, knowing that I’m helping to keep the lights on at home.
Video footage
A drone shot captures the construction site meeting as the sky brightens with warm orange hues spreading across the horizon. Close-up footage captures Bethany speaking to the off-camera interviewer, framed against the warm, domestic backdrop previously described. A tracking shot follows Bethany as she walks across the construction site in the early morning light, dressed in her red uniform and white hard hat, with a large crane and various site structures rising in the background.
Video footage
A series of early morning shots at the construction site capture the following: four construction workers in full safety gear stand and converse under bright lights; a construction module with scaffolding and workers is framed by a purple sky; and three workers, seen from behind, stride toward a bulletin board that reads “Why I Work Safe.”
[Text displays]
Bethany manages a large-scale engineering project to increase the volume of oil extracted at the Shell-operated Vito offshore platform.
Video footage
An aerial view captures the construction site as the sun rises at the horizon, with towering cranes and complex structures framing the backdrop. Over the footage, text transitions in to display at frame-center.
Bethany
Two massive modules are being constructed in Texas, and then we're going to send them hundreds of miles offshore to install them on the Vito platform.
Video footage
Establishing drone shots showcase the Kiewit yard, where large modules are under construction and the team is actively at work. A dynamic zooming drone shot then reveals the deep-water Vito platform, framed by the expansive blue of sea and sky. An aerial shot captures Vito’s topside set against the vast expanse of the deep blue ocean.
Bethany
Over the lifetime, this will allow us to get 60 million barrels of oil equivalent back to Vito.
[Text displays]
The estimate of resources volumes is currently classified as 2P and 2C under the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Resource Classification System.
Video footage
Low-angle close-up footage shows Bethany striding past one of the modules onsite. Over the footage, text transitions in to display along lower frame. As the text continues to display, the scene shifts to a low-angle wide shot, capturing the module against a clear blue sky, with the sun beating down overhead, after which close-up footage captures Bethany speaking to the off-camera interviewer, framed against the construction site backdrop.
Bethany
Vito's only a few years into operation, but we're already looking at ways to maximize the potential of the asset.
Video footage
Aerial footage pans over the two modules on site, followed by a sequence of shots capturing workers engaged in welding and cutting activities. The scene shifts to panning drone footage, showcasing the dynamic activity across the yard.
Bethany
I love the innovation that we bring to the front line of our projects.
Video footage
Low-angle footage captures Bethany and a colleague engaged in discussion onsite, with a towering module looming behind them against a bright blue sky. Drone footage follows as Bethany and another colleague walk across the site, deep in conversation, with one of the modules in the background. The sequence closes with eye-level footage of Bethany and the first colleague sharing a high-five onsite.
[Text displays]
The Vito platform has an innovative compact design.
Video footage
A panning drone shot captures the Vito platform, showcasing its imposing structure set against the vast expanse of the ocean and sky. Over the footage, text transitions in to display at frame-center.
Bethany
The compact design of Vito means that we have to be spot on with construction.
Video footage
Close-up footage shows Bethany inspecting and taking notes onsite, with a ladder and various machinery visible in the background. Low-angle footage captures a colleague standing on a ladder and working on a large pipe flange onsite, with cranes and structural elements visible in the background. Close-up footage shows a person wearing protective gloves using a spirit level to check the alignment of a metal pipe, with various tools visible around the work area.
Engineering Colleague
The vacuum tower is kind of the centerpiece of the whole thing if you think about it. The fact that the team had to literally thread this needle through three decks with very, very minimal clearances on each side.
Video footage
Another drone shot captures the completed vacuum tower on the module, followed by a low-angle close-up of the tower rising against a clear blue sky. Close-up footage then shows Bethany in conversation with an engineering colleague, discussing the intricacies of the construction. A panning side view of the module emphasizes the tower passing through multiple decks.
Bethany
It’s amazing that we only had about four inches of clearance to set this vacuum tower in.
Engineering Colleague
Absolutely. But you know what? All that work really pays off. It’s really rewarding for the team.
Video footage
Panning drone views capture the module with the tower, alongside other modules, at the bustling construction site. Once again, close-up footage shows Bethany engaged in conversation with her colleague, discussing the details of the construction as they stand next to the vacuum tower, with a cutaway to a high-angle shot highlighting the vacuum tower as it passes through the deck.
Bethany
The quality and the skills of the technicians working on this project is critical. There's no room for error.
Video footage
A series of close-up shots shows workers wearing safety gloves, using power tools to grind and cut pieces of metal and pipes, creating bursts of bright sparks. Additional shots show workers, secured with safety gear, measuring areas of the platform with measuring tape, navigating scaffolding and using tools to adjust equipment.
[Text displays]
Completing the project will require an estimated 225,000 man-hours from a workforce of over 150 technicians.
Video footage
An aerial shot captures the activity across the Kiewit yard. The footage gradually softens into a blur as text fades in and appears at the center of the frame.
Bethany
As a project engineer managing construction, I empower people to perform their best.
Bethany
Good morning, Susy.
Susy
How are you?
Bethany
I’m doing good.
Video footage
Tracking footage follows Bethany as she crosses the construction site in the early morning light, engaging in a cheerful conversation with her teammate, Susy.
Bethany
The complexity of the projects is massive.
Video footage
Close-up footage captures Bethany speaking to the off-camera interviewer, framed against the warm, domestic backdrop previously described.
Bethany
I really enjoy bringing people together from all different cultures, with different backgrounds and experiences, to deliver our project.
Colleague
I like this weld, it looks great. Looks great, Susy.
Bethany
Great work, Susy.
Bethany
Thank you.
Video footage
Back at the construction site, Susy flips down her welding helmet and begins welding a metal component while Bethany observes beside her, also wearing a welding helmet. Once the weld is complete, Susy lifts her helmet, and a colleague steps in to inspect the work. He shows his approval and congratulates her, followed by Bethany offering praise and sharing a celebratory fist bump with Susy.
[Text displays]
Shell is the largest producer in the Gulf of America.
The deep-water era began for Shell more than 40 years ago, producing safe and reliable energy today and into the future.
Video footage
Panning aerial footage shows the construction site bathed in the warm hues of sunset. Over the footage, text transitions in to display at frame-center.
Bethany
When I step on site, I can feel the heritage. So many brilliant engineers have worked through this facility. We’re standing on the shoulders of giants. Shell has always been pushing new boundaries in deep-water. It's inspiring to know that what we're doing will be felt 25 years from now. These modules will be enhancing the life of Vito and providing energy security for the future.
Video footage
Various drone shots capture Bethany standing on the top deck of a module, gazing out over the construction site as the sun dips low on the horizon. Intercut with this are close-up moments of Bethany speaking to the off-camera interviewer, framed against the familiar warm, domestic backdrop. Additional drone footage of the yard showcases the golden-orange glow of sunset settling over the site at day’s end.
Video footage and animated sequence
We end on a yellow background montage, where we see various people, ending with Bethany, successively posing against the yellow background, and smiling into the camera. An animated Pecten shape displays at frame-center over the flashing images, yellow neon light appearing to move around the outline in a chasing effect. Successively larger Pecten shapes briefly pulsate out from the original shape.
[Audio]
Shell brand mnemonic played on keys.
[Text displays]
Powering Progress Together
© Shell International Limited 2025
[Animated sequence]
The prior scene transitions with a contraction effect, closing in the shape of the Pecten and disappearing at the center of the frame, leaving a white background. The small classic red and yellow Pecten transitions in to display at frame-center against the white background. Text displays below the Pecten and along lower frame.
Large projects, larger impact
Located some 150 miles southeast of New Orleans sits Vito, one of the newest Shell-operated offshore platforms. Oil production began in February 2023 at Vito, and two years into its production, work began on the waterflood expansion, which will allow water to be injected into the reservoir formation to displace additional oil, enhancing volume capacity at the Vito field. The Vito waterflood project is anticipated to bring up to 60 million barrels* of oil equivalent back to Vito.
People power
On any given day there is a flurry of activity at Kiewit Offshore Services, LTD.’s’ complex, an engineering yard built on the Corpus Christi Ship Bay in Ingleside, Texas. The yard is 400 acres, with a highly skilled workforce of over 150 technicians where these waterflood modules are being fabricated to be fitted onto the Vito offshore platform. As a project engineer for Shell**, Bethany is managing construction of the project and empowering teams to perform their best. She brings together people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences to achieve a common goal, which is bringing more out of the reservoir. Vito is special because it's a smaller platform compared to the original host design, making it more compact, so people working on the modules must be skilled in precision.
Bethany MasseyWhen I first started my career, I never imagined that I would be working on the vast opportunities that I am today: the massive scale of the projects offshore, with a large workforce, where we come together to deliver on our promises.
These offshore projects can be multi-year commitments, so teams grow together and build bonds while working together onsite. Bethany participates in “toolbox talks,” getting to know everyone’s craft, asking what barriers she can help alleviate and what the team needs to stay motivated – all working to one purpose, keeping the lights on at home.
Bethany Massey
On the shoulders of giants
When Bethany walks the construction yard and sees the progress of the modules, the heritage of Shell’s offshore footprint is not lost on her. She credits the ingenuity of engineers before her for Shell’s progress in deep-water, and views herself as “standing on the shoulders of giants.” She’s inspired by knowing what she and the teams are achieving on Vito will be felt 25 years from now, creating her own legacy of building for the future.
Frequently asked questions
What makes Vito different than other oil and gas platforms?
What makes Vito different than other oil and gas platforms?
Vito was Shell’s first deep-water platform in the Gulf of America to employ a simplified, cost-efficient host design. The design has resulted in an approximate 80% reduction in CO2 emissions over the facility’s lifetime as well as a cost reduction of more than 70% from the original host concept. Vito serves as a blueprint for other deep-water projects in many ways, from cost to CO2 efficiency, and was a model for the Whale platform, which came online in 2024.
What is the ‘waterflood’ project?
What is the ‘waterflood’ project?
Waterflood is a method of secondary recovery where the injected water physically sweeps the displaced oil to adjacent production wells, while re-pressurizing the reservoir.
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*The estimate of resources volumes is currently classified as 2P and 2C under the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Resource Classification System.
**The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this content “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this content refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
