ExxonMobil Returns to Canje Block Offshore Guyana with New Exploration Well

US supermajor ExxonMobil has resumed drilling in the Canje block offshore Guyana with a new exploration well, following three consecutive unsuccessful attempts to find commercial hydrocarbons in the play. In 2021, the company drilled three wells—Bulletwood-1, Jabillo-1, and Sapote-1—all of which were deemed unsuccessful, highlighting ExxonMobil's difficulty in making significant discoveries outside the prolific Stabroek block, where it currently produces over 900,000 barrels of oil per day.

According to Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), ExxonMobil is now drilling the Goby-1 wildcat well. The Goby-1 program is located in ultra-deep waters exceeding 2,800 meters, using the Stena Drilling drillship Stena Carron, and is scheduled for completion in late July. The well is situated approximately 290 kilometers from the Guyanese coast.

This drilling marks a renewed attempt by ExxonMobil to discover oil and gas outside the Stabroek block, which hosts over 30 finds with around 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent in recoverable resources. The last well drilled in the Canje block, Sapote-1, was completed in November 2021 at a total depth of 6,758 meters, encountering non-commercial hydrocarbons in one of the deeper exploration targets.

ExxonMobil had always planned to return to Canje and submitted environmental studies in 2022 mapping 12 potential drilling sites in the block. The company operates the Canje block with a 35% stake, partnered by TotalEnergies (35%), JHI Associates (17.5%), and Mid-Atlantic (12.5%).