ExxonMobil Guyana was pleased to announce today that the gas compression and injection systems on the Liza Unity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel have been safely commissioned in around half the normal industry time. The company which recently recorded a $132B profit from the Stabroek Block said the Liza Unity achieved background flare as designed and within the 60-day period outlined in the Liza Phase 2 Environmental Permit. This means the vessel is burning one million or less standard cubic feet of gas per day.
The start-up period involved temporary, non-routine flaring to safely commission the production and gas compression systems.
ExxonMobil Guyana Production Manager Mike Ryan said this achievement is a testament to the team’s dedication to steady, safe operations. Ryan said it also demonstrates ExxonMobil’s capabilities as an industry leader and our commitment to operational excellence.
The company manager explained that the Liza Phase 2 project design eliminates routine flaring by using produced gas to power the FPSO and by reinjecting gas into the reservoir to conserve the gas and to improve oil recovery, thereby reducing emissions compared with traditional methods.
The team was also able to commission the water-injection system, which is now online and operational. The next step is to start up additional new wells in the ramp up to full production of 220,000 barrels of oil per day during the third quarter. It adds to the more than 120,000 b/d of capacity at the Liza Destiny FPSO, which began production in December 2019 and is now delivering at better than design capacity.
The Liza Unity arrived in Guyana in October 2021. It is moored in about 1,650 m (5,413 ft) of water and will be able to store around 2 MMbbl of crude. It is also the world’s first FPSO to be awarded the SUSTAIN-1 notation by ABS in recognition of the sustainability of its design, documentation and operational procedures.
