Exxon Mobil Corp was instructed to reduce crude oil in its budding project in Guyana’s offshore in reason of gas reinjection equipment problem. The Guyana environmental regulator said the measure was taken to avoid excessive gas flaring. Guyana’s Liza field operated by Exxon in a consortium with CNOOC Ltd. and Hess Corp has slashed the output to around one-third, between 25,000-30,000 barrel/day in the past week from usual’s 75,000-80,000 barrel/day in early May. The field began production in December and was planned to produce 120,000 barrel/day in June, hoped to increase the welfare in the impoverished country.
Exxon had to reduce crude output to avoid exceeding 15 million cubic feet daily limit as the compressor are not fully functions to reinject side-produced gas into the reservoir, while higher production means more gas flaring consisting methane are polluting the air. Exxon spokesperson said that the company are continuing to complete the gas handling system, as the current situation is a temporary and unplanned event as the project is still on a startup phase. When the system is fully commissioned, the plant can produce at full capacity.
Worldwide oil companies are seeking to reduce gas flaring as a measure to ensure greener production with less greenhouse gas emissions. But in countries like Guyana which lacking gas pipeline infrastructure, the practice is more complicated. The building process of a gas pipeline from Stabroek in Guyana’s offshore to the coast has not completed yet.
