ExxonMobil Corp. has made a discovery at Longtail-3 in Stabroek block offshore Guyana, encountering 230 ft (70 m) of net pay, including newly identified, high-quality hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs below the original Longtail-1 intervals. The well is about 2 miles south of Longtail-1 and was drilled in more than 6,100 ft of water by Stena DrillMAX. Longtail-1 was drilled in 2018, encountering 256 ft of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone.
Stena DrillMAX is one of two additional drillships ExxonMobil has deployed offshore Guyana since first-quarter 2021, Noble Sam Croft being the other. As the company advances its 15-well campaign in Stabroek block, DrillMAX will move to Whiptail-1, while Noble Sam Croft supports development drilling for Liza Phase 2. ExxonMobil now has six drillships operating off Guyana.
Earlier this year, topsides lifting for the 220,000-b/d Liza Unity floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel occurred at Keppel Shipyard in Singapore. First oil from the FPSO, the development’s fourth, is expected in 2022 (OGJ Online, Mar. 19, 2021).
In other drilling activity in Stabroek, the Mako-2 evaluation well confirmed the quality, thickness, and areal extent of the reservoir. When integrated with the previously announced discovery at Uaru-2, data supports a potential fifth FPSO in the area east of the Liza complex. The Koebi-1 exploration well in Stabroek block has shown evidence of non-commercial hydrocarbons.
Stabroek encompasses 6.6 million acres. ExxonMobil last year increased its estimated recoverable resource base in Guyana to 8 billion boe.
ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. is Stabroek's operator and holds 45% interest. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30% and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Ltd. 25%.
