With the discovery of large quantities of oil off its coast, the South American country of Guyana began preparations for becoming the newest oil producing nation in the region which saw the construction of its first oil production complex – the Liza Destiny – now moored around 120 miles offshore. Operator in the 6.6 million acres Stabroek Block – ExxonMobil – looking to rapidly develop these resources and generate revenue for the country of 750,000 people, is already moving to phase 2 with the Liza Unity now under construction by Dutch floater specialist, SBM Offshore.
Now, the company has submitted its Field Development Plan and Environmental Impact Assessment report to Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the 3rd development at the Payara field which will see, pending approvals, the construction of the country’s 3rd oil production complex.
“The name for this vessel will be the Prosperity. So, we have the Destiny, leading to the Unity, and leading to Prosperity,” ExxonMobil Guyana Country Manager, Rod Henson, told a gathering in Georgetown, Guyana on Monday.
The Prosperity will have similar capacity as the Liza Unity FPSO – 220,000 barrels per day – and could be adding to Guyana’s oil production as early as 2023.
It is anticipated that by 2025, Guyana could be producing around 750,000 barrels of oil per day with as much as five FPSOs operating offshore.
Industry analysts have said by the end of the decade, the lone English-speaking South American country, with no known oil reserves four years ago, could be producing more than one million barrels of oil per day.
The Prosperity FPSO will be a ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carrier) size floating facility with double hull protection, with approximate dimensions of 340m long by 60m wide by 33m deep (1,115 ft long by 197 ft wide by 108 ft deep) and will be moored on location. The vessel will be moored approximately 207 km (128 miles) offshore.
The project will utilize onshore infrastructure which include shorebases, warehouses, storage and pipe yards, fabrication facilities, fuel supply facilities, and waste management facilities in Guyana.
