Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas said on Monday that it and JHI Associates remain engaged with Guyana’s government over a possible extension or reissuance of the Canje Block license offshore the South American country, months after the acreage expired and operator ExxonMobil declined to pursue a renewal.
The update came as Eco provided details on its planned acquisition of JHI Associates, which held a 17.5% working interest in the Canje Block.
In a statement, Eco Chief Executive Officer Gil Holzman said JHI and Eco “remain engaged with the Government of Guyana with respect to a potential extension or reissuance” of the license.
The Canje exploration license expired in February 2026.
In March, ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge said the U.S. oil major did not plan to seek a renewal of the block, citing the company’s assessment of the remaining exploration potential.
“Our evaluation is that remaining prospectivity… is not competitive in our portfolio,” Routledge told reporters at the time.
ExxonMobil operated the Canje Block with a 35% stake. Other partners included TotalEnergies with 35%, JHI Associates with 17.5%, and Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas with 12.5%.
The consortium previously drilled three exploration wells in the block — Bulletwood-1, Jabillo-1 and Sapote-1. They did not yield commercial discoveries.
Routledge had declined to comment on whether the other companies intended to pursue the acreage.
The comments came as Eco said shareholder and court approvals had been secured for its acquisition of JHI Associates, with final completion pending regulatory and government approvals tied mainly to assets offshore the Falkland Islands.
On completion of the transaction, Eco would indirectly acquire JHI’s interest in the Canje Block, subject to any agreement with Guyana’s government over the future of the license.
