Latest update February 24th, 2025 9:02 AM
Canje awaits permit to begin exploration
…more supply boats, helicopters needed
Kaieteur News – ExxonMobil Guyana is gearing to begin a five year 12-well drilling campaign in the controversially awarded Canje Block Offshore pending approval by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
One of the supply boats in the employ of ExxonMobil, Guyana
Once approved, it would mean that by the beginning of the operations, at the end of the year, there will be at least 58 various types of support vessels in the fleet supporting the company’s offshore operations.
This much is documented in the project summary submitted for the Canje Block 12-Well Exploration and Appraisal Project in relation to an Application for an Environmental Authorisation from the Guyana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to that document, by the time operations begin in the Canje Block, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana—will have operational in Guyana, at least two Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) in action.
This, in addition to the 12-well campaign, will see the continued rotational use of up to 58 vessels, 6 helicopters currently in its fleet, and 6 drill ships.
According to the document, each of the six rigs and FPSOs will be supported by 16 Platform Offshore Supply Vessels each.
Additionally, other vessels supporting the two operations and drill ships include: three Chemical Supply vessels, six multi-purpose supply vessels, shallow water, gravel pack, tug boats and others.
EEPGL currently has six drill ships operating offshore, the Stena Carron, the Stena DrillMAX, the Noble Bob Douglas, the Noble Tom Madden, the Noble Don Taylor, and the Noble Sam Croft.
According to the document, the planned wells in the Canje Block could be drilled by any one of the six drill ships currently operating in offshore Guyana
In terms of aviation assets, the existing fleet of six helicopters will continue to be utilised to support the six drill ships as well as on-going Liza Phase 2 Offshore Subsea Umbilical Riser and Flowline (SURF) installation operations. It was noted too that additional crews are being added in order to have the ability to fly simultaneous crew change flights.
Further, shore base activities will be required to support the continued exploration and development drilling campaign. The Project is planned to begin in January and is expected to last for five years; and according to the document submitted to the EPA, “if a discovery is made, a well test may be performed.”
It was noted that EEPGL conducted a 3D Seismic Survey of the Canje Block in 2016 and a subsequent Environmental Baseline Survey (EBS) was conducted in 2018 and based on those studies, a number of potential prospect areas were identified.
This publication had recently reported that each of the Platform Support Vessels were being rented at a cost of some US$55,000, while neighbouring oil producers, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname spend some US$12,000 for the rentals of their supply vessels.
The supply vessels being employed to support the drilling activity include Gary Rook, Russell Bouziga, Robert Adams, Seacor Nile, Sanibel Island, Jack Edwards, Holiday, C-Installer, Kirk Chouest, Roger White, Charlie Commeaux and the Ted Smith.
Others being employed are Paradise Island, Seacor Demerara, Clarence Triche, Seacor Congo, Horn Island, Russell Adams, Seacor Murray, Seacor Amazon, Seacor Mixteca, Emily Day McCall, Michael Crombie and Guyana Hero.
Kaieteur News has since been reliably informed that according to the company’s contracts, they are to be paid whether the vessel is used in a day or not.
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