ExxonMobil Submits Environmental Application for Haimara Gas Development Offshore Guyana

US supermajor ExxonMobil has formally submitted an environmental authorisation application to Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Haimara natural gas discovery in the Stabroek block, marking the ninth major project in the region. Discovered in February 2019 with approximately 63 metres of gas condensate-bearing sandstone reservoirs, Haimara was previously deferred while ExxonMobil focused on other plays. The project will also develop the Bluefin and Hatchetfish gas discoveries, along with potentially proximal resources if deemed feasible and economically viable.

FPSO Design and Capacity

ExxonMobil plans to install a super-sized floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel for Haimara, similar in scope to the giant FPSO being awarded for the Longtail development. The proposed FPSO will have a processing capacity of 160,000 to 220,000 barrels per day of condensate and between 1 billion and 1.5 billion cubic feet per day of gas. As a natural gas development, the primary produced fluid is retrograde gas, from which condensate will be separated on the FPSO, with the remaining gas stream reinjected into the reservoir for pressure maintenance and increased condensate recovery. Haimara features more retrograde gas resources than Longtail. The FPSO will have a unique design with increased gas compression and no water injection, capable of producing between 5,000 and 30,000 barrels per day of water and storing 2 million barrels of condensate. The newbuild facility will be double-sided with single bottom protection, approximately 334 metres long, 60 metres wide, and nearly 33 metres deep, moored about 222 kilometres from the Guyanese coast near the Suriname maritime border.

Development Wells and Infrastructure

ExxonMobil intends to drill between 24 and 60 development wells at the Haimara-Bluefin-Hatchetfish area, linked to the spread-moored FPSO in water depths of about 1,700 metres. The development will include a subsea umbilicals, risers, and flowlines (SURF) system with a lazy-wave configuration, similar to previous Stabroek projects. Initial production is targeted for the third quarter of 2031, with an expected field life cycle of 30 years.

Gas Export and Reinjection Strategy

While gas may be exported from Haimara as demand materialises, it will primarily be used for reinjection. The FPSO and SURF system are designed with three riser slots, reserved topsides space and weight capacity, and detailed facility designs to anticipate future gas export operations. This integrated design enables flexible gas export to multiple destinations and at varying rates as the market matures.

Project Context and Partners

ExxonMobil currently produces over 900,000 barrels per day in Guyana via four FPSOs at the Liza, Payara, and Yellowtail fields, with output expected to exceed 1.5 million barrels per day once additional FPSOs for Uaru, Whiptail, and Hammerhead developments enter operation by the end of the decade. ExxonMobil operates the Stabroek block with a 45% stake, partnered by Chevron (30%) and CNOOC International (25%). Pre-front-end engineering and design studies for the Haimara FPSO contract have already started, with floater heavyweights SBM Offshore and Modec expected to compete for the award.