ExxonMobil’s affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) said it will conduct a slew of activities geared towards ensuring the delivery of the US$2B gas-to-energy project on time for 2024. According to the company, 2023 will include the construction of the materials offloading facility, a heavy haul road to allow transport of large equipment modules to the plant site, and the initial preparation of the integrated plant site.
The project will also commence the onshore and offshore pipeline installation activity and conduct work on both the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels to facilitate gas export. In parallel, EEPGL said engineering and construction activities will also commence for the integrated gas processing facility and power plant.
The mission of the gas-to-energy project is to help provide Guyana with cleaner, more reliable, and lower cost energy by 2025. Utilising gas from Guyana’s own Liza field resource from the Unity and Destiny FPSOs, gas will be brought to shore via a pipeline to an integrated gas processing facility and power plant in Wales Estate, Region 3. Notably, EEPPGL is responsible for building that pipeline structure.
As part of studies undertaken for the project over several years, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted to determine, and mitigate to the extent practicable, the potential environmental, social, and health effects of the project. Additionally, offshore, nearshore, and river geotechnical and geophysical surveys acquired site-specific information to identify seabed features and hazards for pipeline route planning. The EIA was subsequently approved in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Furthermore, the integrated gas processing facility and power plant (which government has already awarded contracts for) is located 25 km south of the seawall on the West Bank of Demerara; a 100-acre site beginning in Free and Easy village. Initial infrastructure work began in early 2022 leading to multiple road upgrades, reinforcement of bridges, and the construction of a river revetment to assist offloading project materials, equipment, and personnel.
Exxon said 2022 was filled with tremendous progress, including the signing of a Heads of Agreement in June, the submission of its Field Development Plan to the government in July, release of all Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracts for the project, release of purchase orders for all long lead equipment, and the start of onshore construction.
