ExxonMobil on Friday announced that they have reached total depth on the Sorubim Well in the Stabroek Block and the hole came up ‘dry’.
“Unfortunately, the well did not encounter commercial quantities of hydrocarbons. Exploration wells come with a certain amount of risk and this is particularly true in frontier areas like Guyana. Success is not guaranteed. We have had great exploration success in Guyana with seven previous discoveries: Liza, Liza Deep, Payara, Pacora, Snoek, Ranger, and Turbot. Skipjack and now Sorubim are what we call ‘dry holes’,” the company said in a statement.
The company said it began drilling the Sorubim well on the Stabroek Block on April 3, 2018 and the Bob Douglas drill ship will complete this well and then move to begin drilling the Liza Phase 1 wells. The Stena Carron drill ship will continue to explore and evaluate other areas of the block.
The Stena Carron is currently drilling the Liza 5 well, which will likely be followed by a new prospect, called Long Tail.
ExxonMobil’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs, Kimberly Brasington had said that “Liza 5 is the fifth well to be drilled in the Liza field. We will use the data gathered from this well to help further plan and optimize the Liza Phase 2 development project.”
Brassington reminded that the Liza Phase 1 development project would produce about half the oil in the Liza field. The proposed Liza Phase 2 development project would produce the other half.
“Ultimately, there will be two FPSOs floating offshore, producing oil from the Liza Field. There will likely be a third FPSO floating offshore which will produce the oil found in both Payara and Pacora.”
On February 28, ExxonMobil announced its seventh oil discovery offshore Guyana, following drilling at the Pacora-1 exploration well.
ExxonMobil encountered approximately 65 feet (20 metres) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir. The well was safely drilled to a depth of 18,363 feet (5,597 metres) in 6,781 feet (2,067 metres) of water. Drilling commenced on Jan. 29, 2018.
Steve Greenlee, President of ExxonMobil Exploration Company had said that the 7th “discovery further increases our confidence in developing this key area of the Stabroek Block.”
He noted that “Pacora will be developed in conjunction with the giant Payara field; and along with other phases, will help bring Guyana’s production to more than 500,000 barrels per day.”
The Pacora-1 well is located approximately four miles west of the Payara-1 well, and follows previous discoveries on the Stabroek Block at Liza, Payara, Liza Deep, Snoek, Turbot and Ranger.
The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). 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 Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 per cent interest.
