ExxonMobil initiated oil and gas exploration activities in Guyana in 2008, collecting and evaluating 3-D seismic data that led to the company safely drilling its first exploration well in 2015.
The 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers) Stabroek Block is located on the continental slope between Guyana’s continental shelf and the deep marine plain of the tropical North Atlantic Ocean east of the Lesser Antilles.
ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is operator and holds 45 percent interest in the block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 percent interest and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent interest.
Exploration wells drilled in the Stabroek Block
- Liza-1 well discovery was announced in May 2015
- Liza-2 well was drilled and tested in July 2016
- Liza-3 well was drilled in October 2016, confirming a world-class resource discovery in excess of 1 billion oil-equivalent barrels
- Liza-4 well was drilled in March 2017 and encountered more than 197 feet of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs, which will underpin a potential Liza Phase 2 development
- Appraisal drilling at Liza 3 identified an additional high quality deeper reservoir directly below the Liza field, which is estimated to contain resources between 100 and 150 million oil-equivalent barrels
- Skipjack-1 was drilled in September 2016; this did not encounter commercial quantities of hydrocarbons
- Payara-1 well discovery was announced in January 2017; Payara is ExxonMobil’s second oil discovery on the Stabroek Block and was drilled in a new reservoir – encountering more than 95 feet of high quality, oil bearing sandstone reservoirs
- Payara-2 well discovery was announced in July 2017; Payara-2 encountered 59 feet (18 meters) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs
- The Payara discovery is estimated at approximately 500 million oil-equivalent barrels
- Snoek-1 well discovery was announced in March 2017; Snoek is ExxonMobil’s third oil discovery on the Stabroek Block and was drilled in a new reservoir – encountering more than 82 feet of high quality, oil bearing sandstone reservoirs; the well data will be analyzed in the coming month to better understand the full potential of the well
- Turbot-1 well discovery was announced in October 2017, Turbot is ExxonMobil’s fifth oil discovery on the Stabroek Block and was drilled in a new reservoir- encountering 75 feet (23 meters) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs
- Ranger-1 well is ExxonMobil’s latest discovery to date, the discovery was announced in January 2018, Ranger-1 well encountered approximately 230 feet (70 meters) of high-quality, oil-bearing carbonate reservoir. The well was safely drilled to 21,161 feet (6,450 meters) depth in 8,973 feet
- The gross recoverable resources for the Stabroek block are now estimated to total more than 3.2 billion recoverable oil-equivalent barrels, including Liza, Liza Deep, Payara, Snoek and Turbot
- The Stena Carron drillship will move to the Pacora prospect, 4 miles from the Payara discovery
Further exploration drilling is planned on the Stabroek Block for 2018, including potential appraisal drilling at the Ranger discovery.
