ExxonMobil hopes Liza Unity can produce more oil

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 April 2024, 21:08 by Writer

ExxonMobil Guyana hopes that the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel can produce more than the current output of 252,000 barrels per day, company President Alistair Routledge said Tuesday.

He says ExxonMobil, the operator in the Stabroek Block will seize the opportunity of installing gas risers for the gas-to-shore energy pipeline to make some adjustments to that FPSO. “Part of the Unity shutdown is actually going to include some additional de-bottlenecking work where we think maybe we could produce above 252,000 barrels. Studies have demonstrated that could be done and so in that shutdown period when we are installing the riser, we will also be doing some additional modifications,” he said.

ExxonMobil, he said, understands the limitations of the equipment at any time. Generally, by way of example, such changes could include changing the trim in a valve to allow more fluids to flow or adding plates or bundles into coolants to enhance capacity. “These are normal engineering steps that we will do to analyse what’s the limiting factor today…and then that will enhance the overall production capacity,” he said.

Mr Routledge said safety is the first priority and increasing the production output would be done only after studies are done by the company, independent experts and the government for such modifications.

The supermajor’s official said planned maintenance would be “accelerated forward” for integrity.

Mr Routledge says the company will be taking the FPSOs Liza Unity and Liza Destiny offline to connect the natural gas risers and so the production total of 412,000 barrels per day by the two vessels will be “deferred”. He reiterated on Tuesday that this reduced production was part of the company’s plans.

Each of the two FPSOs would be offline for 14 days each to allow the company to connect the risers which would be used to connect to the gas pipeline that would transport gas to the almost US$760 million gas-fired power plant and natural gas liquids plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.