Page 26: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jan/Feb 2024)

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COVER FEATURE FLOATING PRODUCTION ffshore foating energy production is on a onstream in 2025. growth path, with two important energy As always, geopolitics casts a cloud on energy produc- production milestones hit in the ‘Golden Tri- tion. In late 2023, Venezuela, drawing on a treaty from angle’ of Latin America, Africa and the U.S. the late 1800s, was claiming title to the oil-rich Essequibo

Gulf in late 2023. One is linked to oil pro- region of Guyana. ExxonMobil’s Global Energy Outlook

O duction, 120 miles offshore Guyana, while published in August 2023 suggested that offshore Latin the other is tied to gas production off the coast of West Africa. America production, presently at circa 3 mB/day, could

Guyana has been in the news as oil behemoth ExxonMo- ratchet upwards to 5 mB/day by the mid-2030s. bil started production in mid-November 2023 at Payara, its third offshore oil development on the Stabroek Block at

West Africa Looms Large

Guyana which it operates, with co-investors Hess Petroleum BP, another energy giant, will soon be deploying FLNG and CNOOC. This brought the company’s total production Gimi, a foating liquefed natural gas production vessel capacity in the country to approximately 620,000 barrels (FLNG), with a nameplate output potential of 2.7 million per day. “The Prosperity foating, production, storage and tons/year (mtpa) to work on its Greater Tortue Ahmeyim offoading (FPSO) vessel is expected to reach initial produc- project, offshore Mauritania and Senegal, under a 20-year tion of approximately 220,000 barrels per day over the frst charter deal. The FLNG was originally a 125,000 cbm half of 2024 as new wells come online,” ExxonMobil said. LNG carrier built in the mid 1970’s that underwent a con-

Two other FPSO’s – Liza Destiny and Liza Unity – sim- version and was delivered in late November 2023 to owner ilarly owned by Amsterdam-based SBM Offshore, have Golar LNG from the Seatrium yard in Singapore, which already been producing roughly 200,000 b/d each for absorbed the Keppel yard, where the work was done.

ExxonMobil offshore Guyana. A fourth FPSO, One Guy- Its FLNG Hilli, also a conversion from the Keppel yard, has ana, capable of producing 250,000 b/d, will be coming been working offshore Cameroon since 2018, with discussions

FPSO Prosperity working offshore Guyana

Liza Destiny since late 2023.

Image courtesy SBM Photo by Lim Weixiang/© SBM Offshore 26 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM