Halfway into 2026, Guyana’s natural gas push is no longer centered only on getting gas to shore at Wales.
The country’s near-term gas plan is still tied to the Gas-to-Energy project on the West Bank of Demerara. But the first half of the year has also brought sharper focus to Longtail and Haimara, two proposed Stabroek Block developments that could move Guyana into a larger offshore gas and condensate phase.
The Wales Gas-to-Energy project remains the first major test. It is designed to bring natural gas from the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block to an integrated facility at Wales, where it will be used for power generation and natural gas liquids production. The government has said the first gas turbine is expected to come online by the end of 2026. Full commissioning of all gas turbines is targeted for the first quarter of 2027, with combined-cycle operations expected by June 2027.
The project is expected to use about 50 million cubic feet per day of gas from the Liza field in its first phase. The government says it could help cut electricity bills, reduce the use of imported heavy fuel oil, and support industrial development. But the wider gas story is now moving offshore.
Uaru and Whiptail remain the next oil growth steps in the Stabroek Block. Uaru is targeted for start-up in 2026 and is designed to add 250,000 barrels per day (b/d). Whiptail is expected in 2027 and is also designed to produce up to 250,000 b/d. Those projects will push Guyana closer to, and then beyond, the one million b/d mark. Longtail and Haimara point to what could come after that oil-led expansion.
Longtail is proposed as the eighth Stabroek Block development. It is expected to produce about 1.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day and about 250,000 b/d of condensate when it comes on stream around 2030, subject to government and regulatory approval.
Routledge has also said Longtail would be prepared to export gas from the start. Haimara is proposed as the ninth Stabroek Block development. It is being advanced as a gas-focused project in the southeast section of the block, about 222 kilometers offshore Guyana.
The project would target retrograde gas. Under the proposed development concept, condensate would be separated on the floating production, storage, and offloading vessel, while the remaining gas would be reinjected into the reservoir to maintain pressure and improve condensate recovery.
ExxonMobil Guyana’s project summary shows that the proposed Haimara floating production, storage and offloading vessel would process between 1 billion and 1.5 billion cubic feet of produced natural gas per day. It is also expected to separate between 160,000 and 220,000 b/d of condensate.
Public scoping meetings on Haimara are being held from June 1 to June 18, 2026, as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process. Written submissions can be sent to the Environmental Protection Agency before June 21, 2026.
ExxonMobil Guyana has also said the development concept for the area groups discoveries from Longtail through Haimara into a single gas-focused area.
That matters because Guyana’s gas plans are moving in two directions at the same time. Wales is focused on bringing associated gas to shore for electricity and industrial use. Longtail and Haimara are focused on larger offshore gas resources, condensate production, reinjection, and possible future gas commercialization.
The Stabroek Block is operated by ExxonMobil Guyana with a 45% interest. Hess, now owned by Chevron, holds 30%, while CNOOC holds 25%.
