Exxon to submit full plan for 7th project – Routledge
Jan 06, 2025
Kaieteur News- Some time this year, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is expected to make a full submission of its Field Development Plan (FDP) for the seventh project – the Hammerhead Development – situated in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana. This is according to the company’s president Alistair Routledge.
“In 2024, we commenced the environmental permit for Hammerhead and we anticipate in 2025 that we will submit the field development plan working closely with the EPA and the government on the approval process,” Routledge said, during an episode of ‘Energy Perspectives’ that was posted on Sunday.
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited President Alistair Routledge
Exxon, the operator of the Stabroek Block, already received regulatory approval for six developments offshore Guyana. In addition to the Hammerhead Development, the company had already disclosed plans for an eight project, the Longtail Development.
Last October, the Ministry of Natural Resources issued Expression of Interests (EOI) seeking a consultant to review Exxon’s FDP for the Hammerhead Development. However, a few weeks later, Guyana’s Chief Policymaker on oil and gas, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had disclosed that he had informed the Ministry to discontinue the search for the consultant. He said he made this decision because the information the company presented thus far is incomplete.
“…So, there will be no consultant hired to review the project until we have the entire submission… until we have a full submission from Exxon, we are not gonna start the review process and I expect them to make a full submission sometime next year,” the VP had said.
Hammerhead was announced as Exxon’s ninth commercial discovery in August 2018. The Hammerhead-1 well was drilled in a new reservoir, encountering approximately 197 feet (60 metres) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir. The well was safely drilled to 13,862 feet (4,225 metres) depth in 3,773 feet (1,150 metres) of water. The project will target between 120-180 thousand barrels per day (kbd). Exxon is aiming to commence production activities by 2029, following the requisite approvals.
Notably, the daily production capacity being targeted is significantly lower compared to the last three projects sanctioned, which each target over 200 kbd. Hammerhead-1 is located approximately 13 miles (21 kilometres) southwest of the Liza-1 well and follows previous discoveries on the Stabroek Block at Liza, Liza Deep, Payara, Snoek, Turbot, Ranger, Pacora and Longtail.
Moreover, this publication had reported that while the government halted its part due to the incomplete submission, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advanced its part in relation to the application that was made by ExxonMobil for Environmental Authorisation for the Hammerhead project.
On November 6, EPA published the Terms and Scope to guide the preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Hammerhead Development. The EPA said it conducted a review of the application and determined that the project may significantly affect the environment and will require an EIA. “This Terms and Scope guides the preparation of the EIA. While Section 11 of the Act specifies “EIA”, this Terms and Scope seeks to include social and economic components in keeping with the Guyana Environmental Protection Act…” EPA said.
(Exxon to submit full plan for 7th project – Routledge)
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