The 8th proposed Stabroek Block development could target 240,000 barrels per day (b/d) of production, according to Hess Chief Executive Officer, John Hess.
Longtail was confirmed as the next target following Hammerhead last December.
“We’re all about bringing value forward so the next best value investment for us is Hammerhead. Then after that is Longtail and that is 240,000 barrels a day,” Hess shared during a Jan. 7 appearance at the Goldman Sachs Energy, CleanTech and Utilities Conference.
A potential start-up in 2030 is under consideration.
The Longtail-1 discovery in the Stabroek Block, drilled in 2018, identified approximately 256 feet (78 meters) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir. Subsequent drilling at Longtail-3 uncovered 230 feet (70 meters) of net pay, including newly identified high-quality hydrocarbon reservoirs below the original intervals found in Longtail-1. Although appraisal work was conducted at Longtail-2, no discovery was reported.
The Longtail development is anticipated to ‘produce more gas’ than other projects in the Stabroek Block. However, the Hammerhead project, which also contains a significant gas proportion, may have gas piped to shore ahead of Longtail.
Longtail’s potential development aligns with the government’s strategy to utilize the Stabroek Block’s estimated 17 trillion cubic feet of natural gas resources.
In 2018, the possibility of a joint development was reported involving the Longtail, Turbot, Pluma, and Tilapia discoveries. UK-based consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie estimates such a project could produce approximately 220,000 b/d.
