Small fire aboard Liza Unity: Govt committed to prioritising safety of workers – MNR

…says it will continue engaging regulatory agencies

The Natural Resources Ministry on Monday said it will continue engaging ExxonMobil and relevant regulatory agencies following a small fire that was detected onboard the Liza Unit Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Operations on the FPSO were suspended on Sunday following a small fire onboard in the laundry room.
In a statement on Monday, the Ministry noted that ExxonMobil said that the appropriate response procedures were immediately initiated and that all personnel aboard the vessel are safe and accounted for.
“The Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to note that the relevant regulatory authorities will conduct the necessary follow-up to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Ministry remains committed to prioritising the safety and well-being of workers and ensuring the highest standards of safety across offshore operations,” the statement noted.
According to ExxonMobil, heat detectors aboard the Liza Unity FPSO were activated in the laundry room of the living quarters, indicating a small fire, which was quickly extinguished. Operations were suspended as part of the established safety response and will resume following completion of the necessary checks.
Up to press time, ExxonMobil had not responded to media queries about the resumption of operations or the extent of the damages.
The Liza Unity, built by Dutch shipbuilder SBM Offshore for the Liza Phase Two Project, is one of four FPSOs currently being operated by ExxonMobil in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana. With an installed capacity to produce approximately 220,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), Liza Unity was the second FPSO built for the Stabroek Block development and started production in February 2022. The US oil giant is preparing to fire up its fifth FPSO offshore in Guyana – the Errea Wittu, which only arrived in Guyana last week for the US$12.7 billion Uaru development.