With regulatory approvals granted for Exxon’s fifth Guyana development – Uaru, next up on the list is number six – Whiptail.
This development is expected to tap Exxon’s Whiptail, Pinktail and Tilapia discoveries, taking production offshore the South American country well above the one million barrels per day mark by 2027. Rystad Energy’s 2022 benchmarking update on Guyana estimates that these reservoirs have 315 million, 269 million and 450 million barrels of oil-equivalent resources. That gives the Whiptail Development Project, as it is being called, approximately a billion barrels of oil-equivalent resources to produce.
Whiptail will target up to 40-65 development wells, with production levels expected between 220,000 and 275,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). A floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel will be used to produce the crude, with two million barrels of oil storage capacity. ExxonMobil has signed a memorandum of understanding with SBM Offshore, for construction of a multi-purpose floater hull, expected to be employed for the Whiptail project.
First oil is expected between the fourth quarter of 2027 and the second quarter of 2028, continuing for at least 20 years.
Exxon has commenced the application process for Whiptail but is still crafting the field development plan (FDP). President and Chief Operating Officer of Hess, Greg Hill said Wednesday that it will be submitted to the government later this year.
The Environmental Protection Agency has directed ExxonMobil to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) as part of the authorisation process. The study will be conducted by Environmental Resources Management (ERM). A series of public meetings were already held along the Guyana coast to entertain questions and matters to be considered while assessing the project impacts.
The government budgeted GY$100.7 million (approximately US$483,000) to review the proposed project.
Beyond 2027, Stabroek Block co-venturer Hess has revealed that the Fangtooth reservoir is being considered for a seventh project.
Read more: A timeline of Exxon’s oil development projects in Guyana | OilNOW
