Govt. still reviewing Exxon’s 8th Stabroek project
…Longtail could become Guyana’s first gas-focused development
(Kaieteur News) – The Government of Guyana (GoG) is still reviewing an application submitted by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) for its eighth deep water project in the Stabroek Block, Longtail.
Once approved, Longtail will be the first gas-focused development in the Stabroek Block. In its Mid-Year Report, the Government explained that the Field Development Plan (FDP), submitted by the operator in March, is being vetted along with the application for a production licence.
Exxon is anticipating approval of the development to commence operations at the project by 2030. The company has already secured Government approval for seven projects in the Stabroek Block. While awaiting approval for its eighth project, Exxon has also filed an application for its ninth deep water development.
Map of the Stabroek Block showing a few discoveries announced by Exxon.
“The Haimara Project continues to be progressed as the proposed ninth venture in the Stabroek Block with the submission of the application for environmental authorisation and completion of public scoping meetings in the first half of the year,” the report states.
Like Longtail, the Haimara development will be centred heavily around natural gas and condensate resources. It is also expected to begin production in the early 2030s.
Longtail
Project documents reveal that Exxon plans to drill approximately 24 to 60 development wells, with drilling scheduled to begin in 2027 and potentially continuing through 2031 and beyond.
The company said installation of subsea components is slated to commence in 2028, while installation of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO), commissioning and start-up are planned between 2028 and 2031.
Longtail is expected to have a field life of at least 30 years, according to the project schedule. Unlike previous developments focused primarily on oil, Longtail will focus on gas production. According to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), it will produce hydrocarbons from non-associated gas fields and potential proximal resources.
The FPSO is being designed to produce 250,000 barrels of condensate per day (bpd), with a gas production capacity of 1,200 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscf/day). BlackRock Midstream describes condensate as extremely light oil.
The FPSO is also being specially designed to accommodate future gas export capabilities. The EIA explains that the vessel will separate recovered reservoir fluids into water and gas phases. The condensate will be treated to remove impurities, including sulphate and other salts, before being sent to storage tanks in the hull.
The produced water will be treated to remove hydrocarbons before being discharged into the sea, while non-associated gas from the separation and treatment process will be compressed and dehydrated to provide fuel gas for the FPSO. The remaining gas will be returned to the reservoir through reinjection wells.
Haimara
Meanwhile, Exxon filed an application for the Haimara development in May this year.
According to the project summary, the ninth deepwater development aims to develop the Haimara, Bluefin and Hatchetfish natural gas fields, along with other nearby discoveries if deemed feasible and economically viable.
Exxon explained that, as a natural gas development, the primary produced fluid is retrograde gas, from which condensate will be separated on the FPSO before the remaining gas stream is reinjected into the reservoir for pressure maintenance and increased condensate recovery.
The company added that gas may be exported from Haimara as the market becomes available.
The anticipated production capacity of the FPSO is expected to be between 1,000 and 1,500 million standard cubic feet (MMscfd) per day of natural gas and 160,000 to 220,000 barrels of condensate per day (kbd), separated from the produced natural gas.
The ninth project will be located in the southeastern portion of the Stabroek Block, approximately 222 kilometres from Georgetown.
Exxon plans to develop the project using drillships to produce retrograde gas from approximately 24 to 60 production and gas injection wells.
Haimara is expected to commence production in 2031, with an expected field life of at least 30 years, according to the project summary.
Source: Kaieteur News
