ExxonMobil Guyana Limited returned to the Barreleye discovery in the Stabroek Block for another round of appraisal drilling.
Drilling is scheduled to conclude on December 31, 2026, according to a notice from the Guyana Maritime Administration Department.
The well site is located about 105.2 nautical miles, or 194.9 kilometers, off Guyana’s coast within the country’s exclusive economic zone. The drilling area covered approximately 0.29 square nautical miles, or one square kilometer.
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Barreleye was discovered in 2022, about 20 miles southeast of the Liza field. ExxonMobil reported that the discovery encountered approximately 230 feet of hydrocarbon-bearing sandstone.
The company later drilled the Barreleye-2 appraisal well and conducted a drill stem test. Such tests help operators assess how fluids flow from a reservoir and provide data to support development decisions.
During a press briefing in October 2025, ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge said the company planned to return for further testing. He described the reservoirs as technically challenging and said additional work was needed to understand the resource.
ExxonMobil operates the Stabroek Block with a 45% interest. Hess holds 30%, while CNOOC holds the remaining 25%. The group discovered 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent offshore Guyana since Liza in 2015.
