ExxonMobil cheers fresh discovery off Guyana

Oil major ExxonMobil has made a new discovery at Longtail-3 well located in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, using the Stena DrillMAX drillship.

Drilling at Longtail-3 encountered 230 feet (70 meters) of net pay, including newly identified, high-quality hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs below the original Longtail-1 discovery intervals, according to ExxonMobil’s statement on Wednesday.

The well is located approximately two miles (3.5 kilometres) south of the Longtail-1 well. It was drilled in more than 6,100 feet (1860 meters) of water.

Mike Cousins, senior vice president of exploration and new ventures at ExxonMobil, said: “Longtail-3, combined with our recent discovery at Uaru-2, has the potential to increase our resource estimate within the Stabroek block, demonstrating further growth of this world-class resource and our high-potential development opportunities offshore Guyana”.

The Longtail-1 discovery in the Stabroek Block was drilled in 2018, encountering approximately 256 feet (78 meters) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir.

ExxonMobil has deployed two additional drillships in the first quarter of 2021; the Stena DrillMAX and the Noble Sam Croft to enable further exploration and evaluation while continuing development drilling activities offshore Guyana.

As the company advances its 15-well campaign in the Stabroek block, DrillMAX will move to Whiptail-1, while the Noble Sam Croft supports development drilling for Liza Phase 2.

In other drilling activity in the Stabroek Block, the Mako-2 evaluation well confirmed the quality, thickness and areal extent of the reservoir. When integrated with the previously announced discovery at Uaru-2, the data support a potential fifth floating production storage and offloading vessel in the area east of the Liza complex.

ExxonMobil also said that the Koebi-1 exploration well in the Stabroek block has shown evidence of non-commercial hydrocarbons.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block. Hess holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum holds 25 per cent interest.