US supermajor expects to add additional volumes to discovered resources of 9 billion barrels of oil equivalent
ExxonMobil is set to push recoverable resources at its prolific Stabroek block offshore Guyana beyond 9 billion barrels of oil equivalent after the US supermajor and its partners in the tract unveiled yet another discovery.
Waters off the South American nation — and off neighbour Suriname — are currently among the hottest spots for global oil and gas exploration following a string of successes for ExxonMobil and other operators.
The new find at the Uaru-2 well — the 19th to date at the Stabroek block since the Irving, Texas-based giant made the Liza discovery six years ago — adds extra volumes to previously announced recoverable resources of about 9 billion boe.
Drilling of the Uaru-2 appraisal well encountered about 36.7 metres of high quality oil-bearing reservoirs, including newly identified intervals below the original Uaru-1 find made in January 2020.
The new well was drilled in 1725 metres of water and is located nearly 11 kilometres south of Uaru-1.
Sights on six to 10 floaters
While it was not clear which of the six rigs ExxonMobil has on hire in Guyana was responsible for the campaign, US independent Hess, which holds a 30% interest in Stabroek, said earlier this year the partners would use the Noble Corporation drillship Noble Don Taylor to spud Uaru-2.
“The Uaru-2 discovery enhances our work to optimally sequence development opportunities in the Stabroek block,” said ExxonMobil senior vice president of exploration and new ventures Mike Cousins.
The Mako-Uaru joint development has been highlighted in the past by ExxonMobil as a potential site for the deployment of a fifth floating production, storage and offloading vessel in Stabroek.
Hess chief executive John Hess added: “We expect to have at least six FPSOs on the Stabroek block by 2027, with the potential for up to 10 FPSOs to develop the current discovered recoverable resource base.”
Liza Destiny glitch
ExxonMobil started production at Stabroek in December 2019 with the Liza Destiny FPSO in the giant Liza field.
Output peaked in December 2020 at 120,000 barrels per day of oil and remained at that level in the first quarter this year, when production was curtailed in mid-April for several days after a minor leak was detected in the flash gas compressor discharge silencer of the Liza Destiny FPSO.
According to Hess, production has since ramped back up and is expected to remain at between 100,000 and 110,000 bpd for the next three months until repairs are completed.
Two more units — Liza Unity and Prosperity — are earmarked to produce from Liza and the Payara-Pacora development in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
ExxonMobil is already moving forward with plans to install a fourth FPSO at Stabroek in 2025 to produce from the Greater Yellowtail area, which comprises the Yellowtail-1, Yellowtail-2 and Redtail-1 discoveries.
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Source: Upstream | This text was excerpted from the media outlet cited on April 27, 2021 and is provided to Noia members for information purposes only. Any opinion expressed therein is neither attributable to nor endorsed by Noia.
