ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge said ExxonMobil is “looking very closely at the potential for gas development” offshore Guyana.
He noted during a media conference in Georgetown on Thursday, that such development(s) would be somewhat unique given the presence of “a lot of volatile oils and condensates” in the discovered wells.
“So, we’re doing a lot of technical work currently and providing updates to the Ministry [of Natural Resources] as to what may be feasible,” Routledge said.
The company is considering options for gas development which could be used for export or use in-country for projects in addition to Gas-to-Energy.
The Gas-to-Energy project will utilise associated gas from the Liza field, primarily for domestic power generation.
During 2022, deemed Exxon’s best exploration year, Exxon added considerably to Guyana’s gas reserves, with the Barreleye, Sailfin, Lau-Lau, Patwa and Kiru Kiru wells estimated by Westwood Group to have more gas than oil. The Haimara discovery near the border with Suriname is also packed with natural gas.
Routledge affirmed that more gas has been discovered further southeast in the Stabroek Block near the border.
Guyana’s gas reserves are currently about 17 trillion cubic feet.
Exxon has been including accommodations in its projects’ designs for the possibility of natural gas export. However, significant gas production at oil developments, it is generally considered, could inhibit the oil recovery ability of the projects.