ExxonMobil makes FID on Liza development offshore Guyana
ExxonMobil Corp. has made a final investment decision on the first phase of development for Liza field 190 km offshore Guyana.
The company also reported results from the Liza-4 well, which the firm said encountered more than 197 ft of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs and will underpin a potential Liza Phase 2 development.
Gross recoverable resources for the 6-million-acre Stabroek block are now estimated at 2-2.5 billion boe, including Liza and the Liza Deep, Payara, and Snoek exploration wells (OGJ Online, Mar. 30, 2017).
The Liza Phase 1 development includes a subsea production system and a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel designed to produce as much as 120,000 b/d of oil. The FPSO contract was let to SBM Offshore NV late last year (OGJ Online, Dec. 20, 2016).
Liza field lies in 1,500-1,900 m of water. Four drill centers are envisioned with a total of 17 wells, including 8 production wells, 6 water-injection wells, and 3 gas-injection wells.
ExxonMobil last month let an engineering, procurement, construction, and installation contract to Saipem SPA for work on risers, flow lines, and associated structures and jumpers (OGJ Online, May 10, 2017). The contract also includes transportation and installation of umbilicals, manifolds, and foundations for production as well as water and gas injection systems.
Production is expected to begin by 2020, less than 5 years after discovery of the field. Phase 1 is expected to cost just more than $4.4 billion, which includes a lease capitalization cost of $1.2 billion for the FPSO facility, and will develop 450 million bbl of oil.
ExxonMobil submitted an application for a production license and its initial development plan for Liza field in early December. The development has received regulatory approval from the government of Guyana.
Esso Exploration & Production Guyana Ltd. is operator with 45% interest. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. has 30% and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Ltd. 25%. Esso E&P Guyana also operates Canje and Kaieteur blocks offshore Guyana.
Drilling of the Payara-2 well on Stabroek is expected to commence in late June and will also test a deeper prospect underlying the Payara oil discovery.