ExxonMobil plans to advance the Haimara gas field as the anchor for its ninth offshore development in Guyana.
During a press conference last Thursday at the company’s Ogle Headquarters, Country President Alistair Routledge said the company expects to begin the project application process within weeks. This will follow the Longtail application process, for which the field development plan submission is happening in the first quarter.
“… We will likely, in the coming weeks, submit an application for environmental authorization to the [Environmental Protection Agency] for a Haimara area project,” Routledge told reporters.
He said about this time next year, ExxonMobil plans to follow a similar submission timeline as observed this year for Longtail’s field development plan.
Haimara, located in the southeastern Stabroek Block, is expected to be the largest of a set of gas-focused opportunities long discussed between the government and the Exxon-led consortium. Gas from the nearby Pluma field is also expected to be produced as part of the development, Routledge said.
The concept includes a pipeline that could cost US$2 billion to transport gas from the offshore fields to Guyana’s Berbice region, where the government is seeking investment for the establishment of industrial facilities to receive the gas. ExxonMobil has said the project requires clear, bankable demand before committing capital, effectively tying the timing of the final investment decision to similar progress onshore.
Guyana’s government has for years urged the company to move ahead with gas developments, particularly in the southeastern portion of the block, as part of a broader strategy to help diversify the economy and create jobs. The proposed Berbice hub is intended to anchor demand through industries that can absorb steady supply, involving potential structures such as data centres, power plants and alumina manufacturing.
Haimara would be the second non-associated gas development after Longtail, helping to carve out Guyana’s gas story, after having oil dominate the picture for years. Oil production currently exceeds 900,000 barrels per day across four projects. ExxonMobil is the operator of the Stabroek Block with a 45% interest, alongside Chevron (30%) and CNOOC (25%).