Page 10 - LatAmOil Annual Review 2021

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(Image: ExxonMobil)

Under pressure in Guyana

ExxonMobil has encountered another problem with the Liza Destiny FPSO’s gas compressor system

EXXONMOBIL has won praise for its role in in the compressor system. On-site repair efforts
launching large-scale commercial oil produc- were unsuccessful, so the company uninstalled
WHAT: tion in Guyana in December 2019. Since then, the FGC and sent it to Germany so that its con-
While testing the newly however, the US-based super-major has not tractor, MAN Energy Systems, could inspect, fix
re-installed flash gas always had an easy time keeping upstream oper- and test it.
compressor (FGC) for ations going at Liza-1, the first oilfield to come MAN Energy Systems finished its part of
leaks, the company on stream in the offshore Stabroek block. It has the job and sent the compressor back to Guy-
noted a problem with approved plans to develop two more sections ana so that it could be re-installed on the FPSO.
the system’s discharge of the block, Liza-2 and Payara, but it has also ExxonMobil duly took delivery of it, put it back
silencer. had to suspend work at Liza-1 multiple times in place on the Liza Destiny and began its own
because of equipment problems. three-phase testing programme earlier this
WHY: The company’s first round of troubles began month. All seemed to be going well until April
The FPSO’s compressor in June 2020 with a discovery of a leak in the 13, when the company reported another equip-
system has been plagued
by problems for nearly compressor system used by the Liza Destiny ment malfunction.
a year. floating production, storage and off-loading
(FPSO) vessel to inject associated gas back into Another equipment problem
WHAT NEXT: the oilfield. That problem persisted nearly until On that date, ExxonMobil Guyana announced
Production problems the end of 2021, and it forced the firm’s local sub- that it had encountered a problem with the
could reduce the size sidiary, ExxonMobil Guyana, to cut production FGC’s discharge silencer while carrying out the
of Guyana’s next export levels. It also put the company and its partners final phase of testing for leaks.
cargo. behind schedule for bringing Liza-1 up to its full In a Facebook post, it said it had responded
capacity of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd). to the problem by bringing production down at
ExxonMobil Guyana said in late Decem- Liza-1. “We have reduced production to a min-
ber 2020 that it had fixed the problem and had imum level that mitigates formation of hydrates
successfully restarted the flash gas compressor in subsea systems, maintains gas injection and
(FGC) unit. A bit more than a month later, how- fuel gas to the power generators and minimises
ever, it reported that another leak had occurred flare,” the firm said.

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