Latest update February 14th, 2025 8:22 AM
Exxon started works on 5th project since last year
Kaieteur News – Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana— on Monday commenced public consultations having submitted an application for environmental authorisation for its fifth development in the Stabroek Block its Urau-1 field development.
A map depicting the location of ExxonMobil Guyana’s 5th Project
This much is documented in the Project Summary submitted to Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This, even as the company was awaiting approval for its fourth project—Yellowtail—which was only recently approved.
In the timelines outlined for the project, as stated by ExxonMobil Guyana, works related to the pre-Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) aspect for the project’s Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel commenced since September last year.
This aspect of the development of the fifth project for ExxonMobil Guyana in the Stabroek Block is expected to be completed at the end of September this year after which, it will move into the Engineering Phase. According to the timelines released by ExxonMobil Guyana that aspect of the project should be completed by the end of October next year.
Meanwhile, as it relates to the SURF—subsea installations, the pre-FEED for that aspect of the project, at least according to the proposed project document, commenced in January this year and is also slated to be completed by the end of September this year.
Following completion of the pre-FEED, it will then move into the Engineering phase scheduled to begin after that in October and is expected to be completed by the end of November next year.
As it relates to the FPSO slated to be named ‘ONE GUYANA’, fabrication of that vessel, according to EEPGL’s Project Document, will commence at the beginning of November and is expected to be completed and ready for tow to Guyana by May 2026.
By that time the manufacturing and transportation of the subsea equipment and installations are also expected to be completed, in time for installation by March 2025.
The development drilling wells are expected to commence in March 2025. Start up of production is expected by the end of 2026 with the operations reaching peak production levels by May the following year.
Formally titled the Uaru Development Project (Uaru), EEPGL is proposing to develop its fifth of 10 planned oil production facilities offshore Guyana in the Stabroek Block alone.
The company also holds controlling interests in a number of other offshore blocks for which exploration wells are planned this year including on the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks.
This fifth development is to be located in the eastern portion of the Stabroek Block, approximately 200km from Georgetown with production from Uaru Project expected to last approximately 20 to 30 years.
It is envisaged that EEPGL will drill between 40 to 76 wells offshore to support extraction of the oil from below the sea floor.
Each well will be drilled using a drillship and EEPGL will install some of the oil production facilities on the sea floor at approximately 1,450 to 1,950 m water depth.
The FPSO will be moored on location in approximately 1,690m of water depth and will remain on location throughout the production stage, according to EEPGL, which will have the peak capacity to produce up to approximately 220,000 barrels to 275,000 barrels of oil per day. Processed oil will be stored in cargo tanks inside the FPSO hull which have the capacity to hold approximately two million barrels of oil.
It was noted that during peak production, approximately every four days, the oil will be pumped from the FPSO to a conventional oil tanker, which is owned/operated by third parties.
According to the company, EEPGL will utilise onshore support facilities to support drilling the wells, installing the offshore production facilities, and operating the offshore production facilities.
The Project Document suggests “this will include but is not limited to shorebases, warehouses, storage and pipe yards, fabrication facilities, fuel supply facilities, and waste management facilities in Guyana. Helicopters and supply boats will also be needed to support the Project.”
It said that at peak, EEPGL will utilise approximately 1,200 personnel offshore during the stage where the wells are being drilled and the offshore oil production facilities are being installed. This number will decrease to less than 200 personnel during the production phase and a smaller number of personnel will be utilised at the onshore support facilities.
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