ExxonMobil yesterday said that gas flaring has been reduced to pilot levels after the safe reinstallation of the flash gas compressor on the Liza Des-tiny Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) oil platform and a final phase of testing will take place this week.
In a statement, Exxon-Mobil Public and Government Affairs Advisor Janellle Persaud said that the team onboard Liza Destiny has initiated a comprehensive three-phase testing programme following the safe reinstalling of the repaired and upgraded components of the flash gas compressor system.
“Over the last few days, the team successfully completed the first two phases, which were intended to verify the effectiveness of the modifications to the equipment and control system logic. Pilot level flare was attained during the testing and a significant volume of process and mechanical data collected,” the statement added.
Persaud later clarified that flaring is currently at pilot levels and this will continue once the final phase of testing is successful.
She revealed that the final stage of testing will take place this week after removal of temporary instrumentation.
“The third phase involves monitoring the performance of the machine closely in normal, steady-state operation,” the statement said. An update should be provided by next week.
More than two months ago, Exxon revealed that the flash gas compressor on the Liza Destiny FPSO had malfunctioned resulting in it having to temporarily increase flaring above pilot levels in order to maintain safe operations. Millions of cubic feet of gas have been flared per day raising numerous environmental and safety concerns. The flaring over the last year and a half would have
significantly upped Guyana’s emission of greenhouse gases.
President of ExxonMobil Guyana Alistair Routledge had said that the gas compressor failed in the middle of the night on January 27th when optimisation testing was ongoing and the production level was around 130,000 bpd but he maintained that this was not in any way linked to the malfunction. Exxon Production Manager Michael Ryan had revealed that it was the mechanical seal that failed, which made the operator realise that there was an issue with the gas compressor.
Following the malfunction, the gas compressor and other key parts from the FPSO were sent to Germany for repairs.
A few weeks ago it was announced that logistics for its departure from Germany were being finalized following the successful completion of repairs, upgrades and mechanical testing of the compressor by MAN Energy Solutions, the equipment’s manufacturer, with quality assurance and control by experts from the vessel’s owner SBM Offshore as well as Exxon.
ExxonMobil has been severely criticised for the resumption of gas flaring above pilot level following problems with the gas compressor.
Specifically the removal of the gas compressor saw oil production pared to 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) – the previously stated maximum capacity of the FPSO – while gas flaring increased to 16 million cubic feet per day.
This is the second time that the gas compressor on the Liza Destiny has malfunctioned with the first being in 2020. However, it is uncertain if the latest failure of the flash gas compressor is linked to the issue that occurred last year.
