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Hess COO: Liza-1 output could

rise to 150,000 bpd next year

HESS has speculated that production rates at production was not unusual for large oilfields,
Liza-1, a section of the Stabroek block offshore since the accumulation of operational data over
Guyana, may rise to as much as 150,000 barrels time helps companies optimise development.
per day (bpd) next year. “[You] need the dynamic data of operating
According to Greg Hill, the COO of the that [FPSO] vessel to understand where your
US-based independent company, output is set pinch points are,” he said. “[You] need about six
to rise above 120,000 bpd, the original name- months to a year of operating data, then you can
plate capacity of the floating production, storage go in and put in some piping changes and elimi-
and off-loading (FPSO) vessel installed at Liza- nate those bottlenecks, [and] then go to a higher
1, in the second half of this year. The projected nameplate [capacity].”
increase will stem partly from the repair and Hess is a minority shareholder and non-op-
replacement of the Liza Destiny FPSO’s flash erating partner in the Stabroek project, as is
gas compressor (FGC) system, he said last week China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC).
at the UBS Global Energy Virtual Conference ExxonMobil Guyana, a subsidiary of US-based
2021. ExxonMobil, is serving as operator. The partners
Hill noted that the FGC was slated to be have discovered a total of 19 oilfields within the
re-installed on the Liza Destiny before the end Stabroek block, and they estimate its reserves at
of June. Once this milestone has been reached, around 9bn barrels of oil equivalent (boe).
Liza-1 will be able to push production levels Liza-1 is the first section of the block to begin
back up to 120,000 bpd and then go higher, he oil production. ExxonMobil Guyana and its
said. partners hope to bring the Liza-2 field on stream
“We will be able to walk the production next year. ™
up somewhere between 120,000 barrels of oil
per day [after July 1] to 130,000 bpd of oil,” he
explained, according to a report from OilNOW.
gy. “And then in November of this year, we will
do two things: we will take a shutdown and we’ll
install a new design [of] flash gas compressor to
hopefully get it more reliable.”
With the new FGC in place, he said, the
Liza Destiny should be able to push output up
to 140,000-150,000 bpd by the end of the year.
“So hopefully in December, once all that work
is done, we will see it begin to ramp up to that
higher nameplate capacity for next year,” he
commented.
Hill went on to say that the expected rise in ExxonMobil uses the Liza Destiny FPSO to develop Liza-1 (Image: ExxonMobil)

Stabroek partners expect work on

Yellowtail to move ahead quickly

EXXONMOBIL and Hess have both indicated partner in Stabroek, Guyana’s government is
that they expect to move forward quickly with currently evaluating ExxonMobil’s request for
preparations for oil production at Yellowtail, permission to develop Yellowtail. Officials in
the fourth section of the Stabroek block offshore Georgetown are on track to finish the evaluation
Guyana slated for development. process before the end of the year, he said last
According to John Hess, the CEO of the week at the UBS Global Energy Virtual Confer-
US-based independent Hess, a non-operating ence 2021.

Week 22 03•June•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P9