Exxon wants bigger FPSO for Phase 2 of Liza development in Guyana

ExxonMobil, working to develop the giant Liza oil discovery offshore Guyana using an FPSO built in Singapore, is not sitting on its laurels.

The company, which plans to bring the first phase of the Liza field online in March 2020, is already thinking about the phase two.

Namely, in a conference call on Friday, Exxon said it had submitted an application for an environmental permit to develop the second phase of Liza.

The development concept for the second phase includes a larger FPSO and subsea systems.

Talking about the Liza Phase 2, Jeff Woodbury, ExxonMobil VP, IR, and Secretary said the FPSOs production capacity would be 220,000 barrels of oil per day with start-up expected by mid-2022.

For comparison, the FPSO being built at Keppel yard in Singapore for the first phase of the Liza field development in the Stabroek block will have a production capacity 120,000 barrels of oil per day.

ExxonMobil is the operator of the giant Stabroek block offshore Guyana. To date, the company has discovered more than 3.2 billion oil-equivalent barrels of recoverable resource on the Stabroek block, not including the recent Ranger discovery.

Apart from the two Liza phases, the company is also working to select the concept for the development of the nearby Payara discovery.

“Payara is now planned as the third development offshore Guyana, mostly following Liza Phase 2. Payara has the potential to raise Guyana’s production to about 450,000 barrels of oil per day in total,” Woodbury said.

According to Exxon’s presentation, the planed start-up for the Payara could be between 2023 and 2024. Guyana currently does not produce oil.