ExxonMobil reports 16th discovery offshore Guyana

ExxonMobil Corp. has increased its estimated recoverable resource base in Guyana to 8 billion boe—an increase of 2 billion boe—noting a new oil discovery, Uaru, will be incremental to the new resource estimate. The new estimate includes 15 discoveries offshore Guyana through year-end 2019 (OGJ Online, Dec. 23, 2019). The Uaru discovery, the 16th on the Stabroek Block, is the first of 2020 and will be added to the resource estimate at a later date, the company said.

Uaru encountered 94 ft of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir. It was drilled in 6,342 ft of water, 10 miles northeast of Liza field, which began producing oil in December 2019.

Four drillships in Guyana continue to explore and appraise new resources as well as develop the resources within approved projects. A fifth drillship is expected to be deployed later this year.

Production from the Liza Phase 1 development is ramping up and will produce up to 120,000 b/d in the coming months, utilizing the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO), the company said.

The Liza Unity FPSO, which will be employed for the second phase of Liza development and will have a production capacity of 220,000 b/d, is under construction and expected to start production by mid-2022.

Pending government approvals and project sanctioning of a third development, production from the Payara field north of the Liza discoveries could start as early as 2023, reaching an estimated 220,000 b/d.