ExxonMobil’s proposed Longtail project will mark Guyana’s entry into gas development, setting the stage for the country’s first non-associated gas production. The project, which targets a final investment decision in 2026, is expected to operate for three decades and feature the largest gas-handling facility ever built in the Stabroek Block.
Key facts about Longtail:
Focus: Longtail is designed as a gas and condensate project, unlike the oil-driven developments before it. It will prioritize liquids recovery while re-injecting most of the gas in its early years to maintain reservoir pressure and maximize condensate output.
Production Capacity: ExxonMobil expects around 1 – 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day and up to 290,000 barrels per day of condensate. The condensate — a clear, light hydrocarbon — will attract premium prices on global markets.
Facilities: The floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit will store up to two million barrels of condensate and offload every three to five days. It will rely entirely on gas recycling instead of water injection, with twice the gas compression capacity of previous FPSOs.
Reservoirs: The development will tap the Longtail, Tripletail, and Turbot discoveries made between 2017 and 2019. These fields hold several trillion cubic feet of gas, with about one trillion cubic feet expected to reach the market.
Longevity: Longtail is planned for a 30-year production life, longer than Exxon’s oil projects in the Stabroek Block, which are typically designed for 20 years.
Infrastructure: The project will include subsea wells, manifolds, and production trees, with an estimated 24 – 60 wells to be drilled.
Location: It will be the easternmost of ExxonMobil’s offshore developments and is expected to connect with the Gas-to-Energy pipeline as Guyana’s domestic gas market matures.
Cost: The project is estimated at US$12.5 billion.
Partnership: ExxonMobil operates the Stabroek Block with a 45% stake, alongside Hess (30%) and CNOOC (25%).
Longtail will be ExxonMobil’s eighth development in the Stabroek Block, following seven oil projects – Liza Phases 1 and 2, Payara, Yellowtail, Uaru, Whiptail, and Hammerhead – and is poised to add a new dimension to Guyana’s offshore industry by establishing its first dedicated gas production hub.
