ExxonMobil’s Hammerhead development will be a “stand alone” project, according to the summary submitted to Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Potentially, additional resources can be tapped, if determined to be feasible and economically viable, the document read.
The proposed project will be located in the south central portion of the Stabroek Block, 160 kilometers (km) from Georgetown.
Exxon plans to drill 14 to 30 production and injection wells. First oil is targeted in 2029. According to Exxon, production from Hammerhead is expected to last “at least 20 years.
A floating, production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) will be used, moored in water depths of between 750 to 1,200 meters. Exxon said the vessel will produce 120,000 barrels to 180,000 barrels of oil per day (b/d). But this estimate is not fixed.
“Following start-up and after engineering evaluation and regulatory approval, production optimization and debottlenecking activities may allow production to be safely increased above the initial production capacity,” the summary outlined.
The vessel will be able to store 1.4 million to two million barrels of oil.
Like all other Stabroek Block developments, Exxon will use onshore facilities to support drilling the wells, install offshore production facilities, and operate the offshore production facilities. This will include but is not limited to shorebases, warehouses, storage and pipe yards, fabrication facilities, fuel supply facilities, and waste management facilities in Guyana. Helicopters and supply boats will also be needed to support Hammerhead.
Exxon said at peak, Hammerhead may be supported by 1,200 offshore personnel, during the drilling and production installation stages. This will then drop to less than 200 during production. A smaller number of personnel will be utilized at the onshore support facilities.
Current oil production from the three developments in the Stabroek Block is currently averaging 630,000 b/d. The addition of Hammerhead could take total oil production capacity offshore Guyana to 1.5 million b/d. Exxon has a 45% stake in the Stabroek Block while Hess Corporation holds 30% and CNOOC holds 25%.
