The Uaru Development Project, for which ExxonMobil is currently seeking environmental authorisation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Guyana, could create up to 1,540 jobs, preliminary estimates indicate.
The workforce levels are disaggregated across the life cycle of the project.
According to the project summary, the well drilling phase will employ approximately 600 persons at peak, utilising at least two drill ships (approximately 300 persons per drill ship). The estimate depends on the final drill ships and support vessels selected.
Uaru to carry similar FPSO size as Yellowtail – EIA
During mobilisation, installation and hookup of the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel and the subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF), it is estimated that 600 persons will be employed at peak. The estimate depends on the final construction/installation and support vessels selected.
Once first oil is achieved, production operations (including FPSO and support vessels) will employ approximately 160-180 persons at peak.
At decommissioning, the last stage of the project life cycle, approximately 160 persons will be employed at peak.
Hess says high quality oil found at Uaru with potential for massive reservoir
These estimates are expected to be revised, following the selection and contracting for the drill ships, FPSO, SURF installation vessels, and support vessels. They do not account for the small number of personnel providing shorebase and logistical support onshore, which will be expected to ramp up during the mobilisation and installation stage, and during decommissioning.
Uaru will be ExxonMobil’s fifth development project offshore Guyana. It could achieve first oil as early as the fourth quarter of 2026 and could see designed production levels reaching as high as 275,000 barrels per day (bpd).
At this level, it would be the project with the biggest production capacity offshore Guyana.
