Guyana Operations and First Oil

Abstract

The Liza Phase 1 development project features the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, moored 190 km offshore Guyana in 1,743 m (5,719 ft) of water, and four subsea drill centers supporting 17 wells. Not only was this a Greenfield development that required an integrated team to prepare for Operations; it was also located in a New Frontier that required development of logistics and marine infrastructure to support multi drillship and FPSO operations in challenging metocean and tidal conditions. In addition, early operations and production testing was further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and safety protocols put in place to keep the workforce safe. Three aspects of achieving First Oil are discussed, highlighting challenges and lessons learned: Managing subsea completions, well cleanup, and flow assurance while drilling was ongoing Enabling accurate data collection from Multi-Phase Flow Meters (MPFMs) and downhole pressure gauges, which was critical to developing foundational understanding of well performance for reservoir characterization and management Establishing an integrated asset team and workflows to ensure life cycle value capture by managing complex marine operations, commissioning, and surveillance while meeting stringent COVID-19 protocols Lessons learned from Destiny Operations will be incorporated into future projects, including a robust digital strategy centered on a fiber ring to shore, which will enable high-speed communications for future FPSOs, and an onshore integrated operations control center for improvement of long-term operations. Early understanding of reservoir connectivity and performance from data collection will continue to inform the reservoir management strategy so as to maximize asset value for the country of Guyana.