While it is operating at industry-leading speed with five sanctioned projects, two of which are already in operation, ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), recently assured that safety remains a top priority for its Stabroek Block developments.
In fact, the company was keen to note in its first-ever annual report that safety “is more than just a priority – it is a core value and an integral part of our culture that applies to every aspect of our operations.”
According to the report, several safety milestones for 2022 which included one year without any hurts on the Liza Destiny floating production and offloading (FPSO) vessel. The report also mentioned that the Liza Unity FPSO vessel safely achieved first oil, and the Stena Drillmax operated for one year without any hurts.
The report further stated, “In 2022, EEPGL employees and contractors continued to work to strengthen safety culture and performance, achieving outstanding performance during significant growth in production and project execution.” The company also emphasized the need for continuous improvement in preventing injuries and illnesses through constant analysis of every incident or ‘near miss’ to understand the potential consequences and learn from them.
The company also highlighted its emergency response readiness, noting that its aim is to ensure readiness to respond in the unlikely event of an offshore emergency, utilizing in-country personnel, vessels, and response equipment stored in Guyana. According to the report, “Through collaboration with our contractors, we strengthened our approach through facility specific training, exercises, and response drills, continually reinforcing our response structure and state of readiness.”
The report also mentioned that following the arrival of Liza Unity FPSO in October 2021, EEPGL conducted an exercise to field test spill response equipment, processes, and team readiness. The exercise had several objectives including ensuring the readiness to transfer emergency kits onto a vessel, utilizing support vessels to deploy equipment in open water, and familiarizing vessel crew with boom operations in open water. The response team was also familiarized with the mobilization and offshore deployment of boom and skimmers, in addition to the operation of dispersant application devices.
Additional startup response readiness activities included Liza Unity operations and Incident Management Teams participating in tabletop drills and exercises that included oil spill response, loss of containment, gas release, and medical emergencies.
Earlier this year, ExxonMobil Guyana’s President, Alistair Routledge, affirmed that “safety as a culture” goes beyond the company’s ability to implement policies, noting that it requires deliberate actions to put those policies into practice.
