The Government of Guyana is seeking three international consultants to review and assess studies for the Payara Development Project in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana.
Last Tuesday, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MoNR) on behalf of the Government of Guyana issued an invitation for individual short-term consulting services for reviews and assessments of a Block Seismic and Well Injection Study, Permissible Flaring, and Production Profile Maintenance Study and a Produced Water and Reinjection Study.
In its Terms of Reference (ToR) for the individual consultancy services for Review and Assessment of a Permissible Flaring and Production Profile Maintenance Study, the ministry said that the intended purpose of this consultancy is to provide support to the Government of Guyana in executing an assessment of the submissions the Operator has made with respect to the Permissible Flaring and Production Profile Maintenance Study and its alignment with the approved Terms of Reference and international best practice.
Since 2015, Guyana’s oil and gas industry has seen impressive momentum with estimated recoverable resources being more than 9 billion barrels oil equivalent from the Stabroek block, where exploration is still ongoing. Presently, Guyana is producing approximately 120,000 barrels of oil per day. The natural gas produced is reinjected.
“The Payara Petroleum Production Licence, signed on the 30th September 2020, requires the Operator to conduct several studies that pertain to petroleum operations. One of these studies aims to Construct a reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) model and prepare a report of key metrics, including an estimate of the FPSO overall production system availability reflective of flaring permissible under the Production License and Environmental Permit,” the ToR said, noting that during the consulting period the consultant is expected to review all submissions made by the Operator ExxonMobil, and all other supporting documentation. The review will verify whether the submissions made by the Operator addressed the items outlined in the ToR of the study and if it meets the intent of the Condition within the Payara Petroleum Production Licence.
In addition to reviewing the information provided by ExxonMobil with respect to constructing a reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) model and the subsequent report of key metrics, including an estimate of the FPSO overall production system availability and reflective of flaring permissible under the Production Licence and Environment Permit, the consultant will also review Exxon’s prioritised list of opportunities to improve the FPSO’s overall production system availability based on cost-benefit analyses, if the FPSO overall production system availability is below 98%, and examine the recommendations the Operator would have made with regard to the findings.
As it relates to the review and assessment of a Block Seismic and Well Injection Study, the MoNR noted that with Guyana expected to produce 750,000 barrels of oil per day by 2026, the hydrocarbon is currently being recovered by the injection of water and gas. It was noted that one of the studies to be conducted by ExxonMobil as part of the Payara Petroleum Production Licence is a complete analysis of natural seismic activity and magnitude from events such as earthquakes and volcanoes among several others. The analysis would be considering the potential impact of the injection of fluids on such activities. As a result the consultant will provide support to the government in executing an assessment of the submissions that Exxon has made with respect to the Block Seismic Activity Study and its alignment with the approved ToR and international best practices.
The consultant is expected to review all of Exxon’s evaluations on the Liza, Payara and neighbouring future development areas in terms of the location, tectonic setting, and regional seismicity, and additional induced seismicity risks and considerations based on subsurface conditions for the Payara development area.
In addition, the consultant will examine Exxon’s findings for the potential of injection of fluids triggering seismic events and the recommendations the Company would have made in regards to the findings.
The ToR for the third study was not available.
