The Stabroek Block, located approximately 120 miles offshore Guyana, is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers). The block is equivalent in size to 1,150 Gulf of Mexico blocks and contains multiple prospects and play types representing additional multibillion barrel unrisked exploration potential. Esso E&P Guyana Ltd is the operator and has a 45 percent working interest, while Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd has 30 percent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited has 25 percent interest.
To date, 12 significant discoveries have been made on the block at Liza, Payara, Snoek, Liza Deep, Turbot, Ranger, Pacora, Longtail, Hammerhead, Pluma, Tilapia and Haimara. Gross discovered recoverable resources for the Stabroek Block are currently estimated at more than 5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent with multi-billion barrels of additional exploration potential on the block.
The Liza Phase 1 development, sanctioned June 2017, is progressing rapidly, laying the foundation for first production in early 2020. Liza Phase 1 will consist of 17 wells connected to a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel designed to produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day.
The second phase of the Liza development will utilize a second FPSO with gross production capacity of approximately 220,000 barrels of oil per day, with start-up expected by mid 2022. Planning is underway for a third phase of development, which is targeted to be sanctioned in 2019 and will use an FPSO designed to produce approximately 180,000 barrels of oil per day, with first production as early as 2023.
In April 2018, Hess acquired a 15 percent interest in the Kaieteur Block, located approximately 155 miles (250 kilometers) offshore and adjacent to the Stabroek Block. The Kaieteur Block covers 3.3 million acres (13,535 square kilometers). Seismic interpretation and evaluation of a future drilling program are planned for 2018.
Watch the animated overview of the origins and the future production plans of the Guyana basin.
ExxonMobil along with its joint venture partners Hess, and CNOOC Nexen will be drilling 17 wells in preparation for the Liza Phase 1 development project located 120 miles offshore the South American country of Guyana. But why is the oil major drilling 17 wells?