Citizens have two weeks left to submit concerns on Exxon’s 12-well campaign in Canje Block

Mar 04, 2022 News

Kaieteur News- Industry stakeholders have until March 18, 2022—approximately two weeks remaining— to send queries and concerns to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding ExxonMobil’s proposed 12-well campaign for the Canje block.

Map showing the areas on the Canje Block where the 12 prospects would be drilled.

In a notice published on its Facebook page, the EPA said it had received an application for environmental authorisation from ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL), to execute an exploration and appraisal drilling programme on the block.
In accordance with Section 11(2) of the Environmental Protection Act, the EPA said the application for the project was screened to assess the potential impacts. Following this process, the EPA said it was determined that the project will not significantly affect the environment or human health and is therefore, exempt from the requirement of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Notwithstanding this decision, in the interest of sound environmental management, the regulator said it will require the preparation and submission of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the project which would assess any possible impacts on the environment and/or human health, and detail specific mitigation measures to be undertaken in order to ensure that the proposed project is implemented in an environmentally-sound and sustainable manner.
In keeping with the Environmental Protection Act and the Environmental Protection (Authorisations) Regulations, any person who may be affected by any of the proposed projects may lodge an appeal against the agency’s decision, with the Environmental Assessment Board. Appeals and comments should be addressed to: The Environmental Assessment Board, c/o Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, Georgetown, Guyana. Comments can also be sent via email to: [email protected].
The Canje Block is located offshore, in deepwater of Guyana, southeast of the Kaieteur Block, and north-northeast of the Stabroek Block, where EEPGL has conducted substantial exploration and development activities to date. Based on data from these exploration and development activities, EEPGL said the proposed 12 exploration/appraisal wells may be drilled within the seven Prospect Areas as depicted in the map attached to this article. However, the exact locations of the 12 exploration/appraisal wells comprising the project have not yet been finalized by EEPGL and its partners.
While some of the 12 wells will be drilled for exploration purposes, EEPGL said it is also possible that some of the wells may be drilled as appraisal wells within proximity of previously drilled exploration areas. If discoveries are found, at particular locations, the company said subsequent wells could be drilled in the vicinity of such locations to further assess the commerciality of the discoveries. Priorities and schedules could therefore change, it said.
Kaieteur News understands that the Canje Block 12-well exploration/appraisal drilling campaign will begin in fourth quarter 2022, and if discoveries are made, well test(s) may be performed. Conclusion of the proposed drilling campaign is expected by first quarter 2025.
EEPGL currently has six drill ships operating offshore Guyana: the Stena Carron, the Stena DrillMAX, the Noble Bob Douglas, the Noble Tom Madden, the Noble Don Taylor, and the Noble Sam Croft. The wells could be drilled by any one of these six drill ships or other rigs of opportunity.
The drilling of the exploration/appraisal well(s) in the Canje Block is expected to potentially occur simultaneously with other drilling activities offshore, including: The Liza Phase 1 Development Project well production operations; the Liza Phase 2 Development Project well drilling programme and production operations; the Payara Development Project well drilling programme, installation, and start of production operations; ongoing exploration/appraisal well drilling operations in the Stabroek Block covered under a 25-well campaign Environmental Assessment and Management Plan approved on 1 October 2019—together with the individual environmental permits issued by the EPA for individual wells in this campaign; the Yellowtail Development Project well drilling programme and installation, which is seeking environmental authorization from the EPA; and the Kaieteur Block Project, which is seeking environmental authorization from the EPA for drilling up to 12 exploration/appraisal wells.
Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the designated Operator for the Canje Block, and made the application for the exploration programme on behalf of itself and JHI Associates (BVI) Inc., Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas Inc., and Total E&P Guyana B.V., the other partners in the offshore concession.