Offshore staff
IRVING, Texas – ExxonMobil and its partners Hess and CNOOC have made an oil discovery at the Uaru-2 well in the Stabroek block offshore Guyana.
Uaru-2 will add to the existing recoverable resource of more than 9 Bboe.
It encountered about 120 ft (36.7 m) of high-quality oil-bearing reservoirs including newly identified intervals below the Uaru-1 discovery. The drillship Noble Don Taylor drilled the well in 5,659 ft (1,725 m) of water, about 6.8 mi (11 km) south of the Uaru-1 well.
Mike Cousins, senior vice president of exploration and new ventures at ExxonMobil, said: “The Uaru-2 discovery enhances our work to optimally sequence development opportunities in the Stabroek block.”
In March 2021, the company secured a sixth drillship, the Noble Sam Croft, for exploration and evaluation drilling activities offshore Guyana.
ExxonMobil anticipates at least six projects online by 2027 and sees potential for up to 10 FPSOs to develop its current recoverable resource balance.
The start-up of Liza Phase 2 remains on target for 2022, as the FPSO Liza Unity prepares for sail away from Singapore to Guyana later this year. The FPSO has a production capacity of 220,000 b/d of oil at peak rates.
First oil from Payara, the third project in the Stabroek block, is targeted for 2024. The hull for the FPSO Prosperity is complete, and topsides construction activities have started in Singapore. The vessel will have a production capacity of 220,000 b/d.
A fourth project, Yellowtail, has been identified within the block with anticipated start up in late 2025, pending government approvals and project sanctioning. This project will develop the Yellowtail and Redtail fields, which are about 19 mi (30 km) southeast of the Liza developments.
These new projects continue to drive investment in the Guyanese economy, the company said. More than 2,300 Guyanese are now supporting project activities on and offshore. ExxonMobil and its key contractors have spent about $388 million with more than 800 local companies since 2015.
According to partner Hess, the Liza Phase 1 development FPSO Liza Destiny reached its nameplate capacity of 120,000 gross b/d of oil in December 2020 and remained at this level during 1Q 2021. In mid-April, production from the Liza Destiny was curtailed for several days after a minor leak was detected in the flash gas compressor discharge silencer.
Production has since ramped back up and is expected to remain in the range of 100,000-110,000 gross b/d until repairs to the discharge silencer are completed in about three months. Following this repair, production is expected to return to, or above, nameplate capacity.
ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. operates and holds 45% interest in the Stabroek block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30% interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Ltd. holds 25% interest.
04/27/2021
