ExxonMobil adds another drillship to fleet

As US oil giant ExxonMobil continues to discover more oil offshore Guyana, it has added another drillship to its existing fleet of three to increase its capacity.
The new drillship, Noble Don Taylor is presently working for Talos Energy in the Gulf of Mexico. Already, the Noble Bob Douglas and the Noble Tom Madden are in Guyana, along with the Stena Carron.
Only this week, Exxon announced its 13th discovery offshore Guyana at the Yellowtail-1 well.
The announcement came a mere two months after the US supermajor made double oil discoveries at the Tilapia-1 and Haimara-1 wells in the south-west section of the Stabroek Block.
Yellowtail-1, located some six miles north-west of the Tilapia discovery, encountered approximately 292 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir.
According to a press release from ExxonMobil, it was drilled to a depth of 18,445 feet (5622 metres) in 6046 feet (1843 metres) of water.
The Noble Tom Madden began drilling the Yellowtail well on March 27 and it will next drill the Hammerhead-2 well.
This latest discovery adds to the previously announced estimated recoverable resource of approximately 5.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels on the Stabroek Block. Yellowtail-1 is the fifth discovery in the Turbot area, which ExxonMobil expects to become a major development hub.
The Stena Carron is currently completing a well test at the Longtail-1 discovery and upon completion will next drill the Hammerhead-3 well. Later in 2019, the Stena Carron will drill a second well at the Ranger discovery.
The Noble Bob Douglas drillship is currently completing development drilling operations for the Liza Phase 1 development.
ExxonMobil has previously said that there is potential for at least five floating productions, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels on the Stabroek Block producing more than 750,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025.
Start-up of the Liza Phase 1 development is on track to begin by the first quarter of 2020 and will produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day, utilising the Liza Destiny FPSO, which is expected to arrive in the country in the third quarter.
Liza Phase 2 is expected to start up by mid-2022. A final investment decision is expected soon, subject to Government and regulatory approvals. Upon approval, the project plans to use the Liza Unity FPSO to produce up to 220,000 barrels per day. Sanctioning of a third development, Payara, is also expected in 2019, with start-up projected for 2023.
The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). ExxonMobil affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, is operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds 25 per cent interest.