Exxon to drill Whiptail well this month

May 04, 2021 News

…as operator heightens activities in Stabroek Block

ExxonMobil’s COO, Greg Hill.

Days after scoring big with another successful oil discovery at the Urau-2 well in the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil Guyana is moving ahead with plans to spud (drill) another well – the Whiptail – during the course of this month.
The intention to go ahead with the planned drilling activity for the new well was confirmed this past week, when the US oil major held its earnings call for the second quarter.
Chief Operating Officer (COO), Greg Hill, in giving the announcement, detailed that the Stena Carron drillship has also commenced exploration drilling at the Koebi 1 well and that the exploration well at Whiptail is planned to be spud in May.
He said too, that the company plans further exploration and appraisal activities for the second half of 2021 with a total of 12 wells to be drilled.
As such, the Noble Tom Madden, the Noble Bob Douglas and the Noble Sam Croft — which recently joined the fleet — will be primarily focused on development drilling, he said.
According to the ExxonMobil COO, the Stabroek Block exploration programme for the remainder of the year will focus on both Campainian Liza Type reservoirs and on the deeper Santonian Reservoirs.
Additionally, he disclosed that key appraisal activities would be targeted in the Southeastern portion of the Stabroek Block, to inform future developments.
Speaking to the recent successful discovery at the Urau-2 well, he noted that there were also incremental discoveries at that location, at deeper intervals.
According to Hill, that well had encountered approximately 120 feet of high quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled 6.8 miles from the discovery well implying a potentially large aerial extent.
He noted too, that the Stena Drill Max is currently appraising the Longtail discovery and additional appraisal was planned at Mako and in the Turbot area, “which will help to find our fifth and sixth developments on the block.”
Addressing the third development, the first and second being Liza Phase I and II, Hill disclosed, “Payara is also progressing to plan, with about 38 percent of the overall work completed.”
He reminded that this project would utilise the Liza Prosperity, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, which will have the capacity to produce up to 220,000 gross barrels of oil per day.
According to Hill, the FPSO’s hull is completed and topside construction activities have commenced in Singapore, while “first-oil remains on track for 2024.”
As it relates to Front End Engineering and Design, Hill said, work continues for the fourth development on the Stabroek Block at Yellowtail.
ExxonMobil, he said, expects to submit a plan of development to the Government of Guyana in the second half of this year.
Pending government approval and project sanctioning, the Yellowtail project is expected to achieve first-oil in 2025.

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