AFC: ExxonMoibil’s plan to push oil ships’ production capacity will increase risk of incidents offshore Guyana

Aug 10, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News- The Alliance for Change (AFC) on Friday expressed major concerns about ExxonMobil Guyana Limited’s (EMGL) plan to continue debottlenecking efforts for every new project brought onstream – an exercise to increase the vessels’ output beyond the nameplate capacity.

Exxon’s plan was recently disclosed by ExxonMobil Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Darren Woods. Woods said that its strategy to maximise oil production beyond the nameplate capacity of Exxon’s vessels operating in the Stabroek Block will ultimately secure higher returns on the company’s investments in Guyana.

On Friday, Exxon announced the startup of its ONE GUYANA Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel which is its largest vessel to date, with an initial annual average production of 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) and a storage capacity of two million barrels.

At the AFC’s weekly press conference held on Friday, former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and party member Dr. Vincent Adams welcomed the announcement. However, Dr. Adams noted that while Exxon is taking care of its interest to produce as much oil as possible to maximise returns, he contended that the Government of Guyana continues to neglect its responsibility to ensure Exxon’s operations are done safe and in an environmentally sound manner.

Referencing the comments made by Woods, Dr. Adams reiterated his position that debottlenecking exercises are both dangerous and reckless. He contended that, at the current pace of operations, which he said is in violation of safety rules, there is a higher likelihood of an incident occurring.

It was during ExxonMobil’s second-quarter earnings call when the CEO was asked to speak about EMGL’s debottlenecking efforts and how sustainable it is for the vessels operating at the Liza Phase 2 and Payara projects to continue producing above their nameplate capacities.

Woods first said that the company is focused on making sure that it maximises the value of its investment without compromising any of the necessary integrity and safety parameters. He noted that this is a consistent practice across all of Exxon’s global operations and credited the company’s focused technology organisation for playing a major role in those efforts.

“So, my view is we’re going to continue to see that with every new project that comes on. I would also tell you that as we find those debottlenecking opportunities and we think they’re applicable to the next project, we build that into the basis, so that we have a clear understanding of what capital is needed to deliver on the volume,” Woods explained. He said too that Exxon will continue updating its investment and design basis based on lessons learned from previous debottlenecking efforts.

In response, Dr. Adams said, “You’re already hearing Exxon is boasting, they’re boasting…they cannot do this in the United States, I know that for fact,” Dr. Adams said.

He added that debottlenecking is a non-sensical term to confuse Guyanese and said that it is not part of Guyana’s environmental laws and regulations.  Dr. Adams explained, “it means is they’re making adjustment in equipment and the production rate etcetera.”

Dr. Adams argued that Exxon’s practice to make adjustments and push the vessels’ production capacity beyond their nameplate capacity is lawless. He outlined that the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) that took months and sometimes years to be evaluated and approved is the document that sets the production rate. He argued that no amount of debottlenecking could change what is outlined in the EIAs.

“The environmental impact assessment, that is the legal document says, for example, this is the rate, for example, Liza One, the rate enshrined in that document says…the safe operating limit cannot be greater than 120,000 barrels per day. We are operating at 165,000 bars per day, almost 40% above. That’s putting us at risk, and they’re doing that for all of the projects. So that’s what that debottlenecking means, so its lawless,” he noted.

Dr. Adams continued, “It’s unlawful for them to be talking about increasing above the nameplate production rate. It’s illegal, but this government is allowing them…”

Notably, though first oil was achieved at the ONE GUYANA FPSO, Exxon’s production level is currently around 650,000 bpd. The company explained that while the installed capacity is 900,000 bpd, production level is not there as yet as the ONE GUYANA vessel production level will be ramped up to meet its initial capacity.

ONE GUYANA joined the Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, and Prosperity FPSOs. The Prosperity FPSO began production in November 2023 and reached its nameplate capacity of 220,000 bpd within months. With subsequent modifications, Exxon was able to ramp up output to around 260,000 bpd. Similarly, in 2022, the Liza Unity vessel came online producing 220,000 bpd and was also optimised to 260,000 bpd. The Liza Destiny, Exxon’s first FPSO in Guyana, began production in December 2019 at 120,000 bpd and was later upgraded to 165,000 bpd.

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• Darren Woods, debottlenecking, Exxon, Stabroek Block, Vincent Adams

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