Baseline survey for Stabroek Block development areas- ExxonMobil’s Deedra Moe

Jul 18, 2020 News

By Kiana Wilburg

Ocean Infinity, an American marine robotics company, has successfully a baseline survey project for the ExxonMobil operated Stabroek Block. Kaieteur News understands that the project involved acquiring high-resolution geophysical and geotechnical data through the simultaneous deployment of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) in water depths of between 70m and 2150m over an area of approximately 3,100 square km.

ExxonMobil’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs, Deedra Moe

In a press release, the robotics company said that the approach of autonomous operations at scale ensured that the data was gathered at an industry-leading pace and with a significant reduction in environmental impacts compared to conventional survey methods. In providing a bit more colour on the project, ExxonMobil’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs, Deedra Moe, said that the baseline survey work was for the Stabroek Block’s development areas which include the Liza field and the Payara project for which it is awaiting government approvals. Moe concurred that the baseline survey is done to ensure subsea infrastructure that would be installed is done in a cost effective manner with minimum disruption to the environment while adding that it is beneficial for all activities, including exploration, appraisal and development drilling. According to documents lodged at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), oil production from the Liza Phase Two Development is expected to last at least 20 years. ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) will drill approximately 35-40 wells offshore to support extraction of the oil from below the sea floor. Each well will be drilled to a depth which is over 5,000 metres (m) below the sea floor. EEPGL will then install some of the oil production facilities on the sea floor at approximately 1500-1900 m (4900-6200 ft.) water depth. These subsea facilities include various types of pipes and hardware. The subsea facilities allow the oil from the wells to be gathered and moved to the surface of the ocean for further processing.
Kaieteur News understands that EEPGL will also install other oil production facilities on a vessel, which floats on the surface of the ocean. The vessel is called a Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO). The FPSO, which has been given the name Liza Unity, will be moored on location in approximately 1,600 m (5250 ft.) of water depth and will remain on location throughout the life of the facility. The FPSO will have the capacity to produce approximately 190,000 to 220,000 barrels of oil per day. During the early stage of production operations, the FPSO is anticipated to produce an average of approximately 5,700,000 to 6,600,000 barrels of crude oil per month.
At peak, EPA documents note, EEPGL will utilize approximately 1,200 personnel offshore during the stage where the wells are being drilled and the offshore oil production facilities are being installed. Kaieteur News understands that this number will decrease to less than 200 personnel during the production operations phase. A smaller number of personnel will then be utilized at the onshore support facilities.
With respect to Payara, oil production is also expected to last at least 20 years. The FPSO that will be supporting production will be called Prosperity and will have the capacity to produce up to approximately 180,000 to 220,000 barrels of oil per day. The project is expected to employ up to 600 persons during development well drilling, approximately 600 persons at the peak of the installation stage, and up to about 140 persons during production operations. Due to delays in government approval, the Payara project is expected to come on stream by 2026, a year later than was projected by the operator and its partners.