ExxonMobil Guyana has turned its attention to securing permits for its proposed Longtail project offshore Guyana, after recently receiving government approval for the Hammerhead oil development, its President Alistair Routledge said on Monday.
“As we shift our focus from approving the Hammerhead project, now we’re focused on the Longtail project,” Routledge said during a press conference at the company’s Ogle headquarters. “That project is in the environmental permitting process. The environmental impact assessment is underway, having earlier this year concluded the consultation process on what should be covered by the EIA.”
Routledge said the company expects 2026 to be the year of the Longtail project review, with both the environmental study and field development plan expected to be completed and submitted to the government during that period. Exxon aims to secure all approvals for Longtail by the end of 2026, he said.
The Longtail development will mark Guyana’s first hydrocarbon development project centered on non-associated gas production in the Stabroek Block, meaning the gas comes from a hydrocarbon field that is primarily gas instead of oil. The official said the project is set to feature the block’s largest gas-handling facility to date.
Routledge said several trillion cubic feet of gas have been identified in the reservoir. Initially, most of the gas will be reinjected into the field to maintain pressure and maximize recovery of condensate — a very light oil — before eventually being produced for market.
The facility is designed to produce around 250,000 barrels of condensate per day at peak. Exxon expects to ultimately bring about 1 trillion cubic feet of gas to market, though the timeline for sales will depend on how market demand develops.
The gas production capacity for the project is expected to be some 1 billion cubic feet per day.
“The higher production rates will come probably not for 12 or even 15 years after startup,” Routledge said, explaining that much of the gas will first be used to enhance condensate recovery before market supply begins.
The Longtail project will be Exxon’s eighth development project in the Stabroek Block, which it operates in partnership with Hess, which has been acquired by Chevron, and CNOOC.
