Backgroud

The Stabroek Block, located approximately 120 miles offshore Guyana, is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers). Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (Guyana) (EEPGL) is the operator and has a 45 percent working interest, while Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd has 30 percent interest and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Ltd. has 25 percent interest. 
To date, twelve significant discoveries have been made on the block at Liza, Payara, Snoek, Liza Deep, Turbot, Ranger, Pacora, Longtail, Hammerhead, Pluma, Tilapia and Haimara. The block is estimated to more than 5.5 billion recoverable oil-equivalent barrels. 

EEPGL is considering initiating a third development within the Stabroek Block, the Payara Development (Payara), which would serve as the third oil and gas development project in Guyana.  The location of the Payara Development is approximately 207 km (128 miles) northeast of Georgetown, Guyana in the Stabroek Block. 

Brief Introduction

Location of oil field: 128 miles offshore Guyana
Reservoir information: sandstone reservoir
Estimate production of oil field: Approx. 180,000 to 220,000 bpd

Exploration and development history:

Payara-1 well discovery was announced in January 2017. Payara is ExxonMobil’s second oil discovery on the Stabroek Block and was drilled in a new reservoir — encountering more than 95 feet of high quality, oil bearing sandstone reservoirs.

Payara-2 well discovery was announced in July 2017. Payara-2 encountered 59 feet (18 meters) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs.

Pacora-1 well discovery was announced in February 2018. Pacora is ExxonMobil’s seventh oil discovery on the Stabroek Block and was drilled in a new reservoir — encountering approximately 65 feet (20 meters) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir.

Current rights and interests:

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (Guyana): Operator with 45% interest
Hess Guyana Exploration Limited (Guyana): 30% interest
CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited (Guyana): 25% interest

Expected workload

The development plan for Payara will use an FPSO and subsea, umbilicals, risers, and flowlines (SURF) production system similar to those of Liza Phases 1 and 2.  Although the developments will be similar, they are independent development projects. The SURF facilities for Payara are composed of subsea production and injection wells clustered around subsea manifolds.  Approximately 35 - 45 wells could be drilled at five subsea drill areas, consisting of a combination of producers and injectors (e.g., for the injection of water and reinjection of associated gas).  Produced well stream fluids which include associated gas will be transported through subsea flowlines to the FPSO at the surface.  The risers and umbilicals will connect the equipment on the sea floor to the FPSO.  The subsea system will be monitored and controlled using a control system connected to the FPSO through a control umbilical which also supplies chemicals to the subsea facilities.  The hydraulic fluid for operating the subsea control system will be water-based.  Figure A.4 represents an example of subsea facilities on the sea floor.

Surface Production Facility Design Concept: A single Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel is used for each development

FPSO Mooring System: FPSO uses a spread mooring system with mooring lines connected to anchor piles embedded in seafloor 

Oil Production Capacity (barrels per day): Approx. 180,000 to 220,000

FPSO Oil Storage Capacity: Approx. 1.6 to 2.0 million barrels

Offloading Frequency by Export Tankers: Every 4-6 days

Subsea Production Facility Design Concept: Uses subsea production trees, and gas/water  injection trees clustered around subsea manifolds

Wells: Approx. 35 - 45 wells 

Drill Ships: may use up to two dynamically-positioned drill ships

onshore Support including Shorebase: onshore infrastructure includes shorebase, pipe yards, fabrication facilities, fuel supply facilities, and waste management facilities; potential sharing between developments

Logistics Support: Marine vessels and helicopters throughout all stages; potential sharing between developments