The Government, at the level of the Petroleum Unit of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is currently considering a request by ExxonMobil Guyana to increase oil production on the “One Guyana” Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.
The One Guyana FPSO started production in the Yellowtail Field within the Stabroek Block on August 8, 2025 with a capacity to produce approximately 250,000 barrels of oil per day. Since then, ExxonMobil has submitted a request to increase production.
In a recent interview with reporters, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat said the Government is still reviewing the request. It was explained that as part of the review, the Petroleum Unit would be required to conduct an onsite visit.
“Once we do the in-house assessment, our officers will then go offshore to a physical visit and to ensure that there are no strains or pressure on the modules or the equipment onshore that FPSO,” the Natural Resources Minister explained.
He said while the Natural Resources Ministry granted approval for the production levels to be increased on the other FPSOs in the past, it is important for the Petroleum Unit to carefully assess the safeguards in place, as safety is paramount.
“We are looking, especially for safety, to ensure that safety measures are in place, to ensure that the ramp up in production will not cause any issues with regards to production on the One Guyana FPSO, like, we did safely with the others,” the Natural Resources Minister explained.
According to the Natural Resources Minister, given the need to carefully examine the vessel’s capacity to safely increase production, his Ministry has not given itself a timeline for the completion of the assessment.
“We don’t want to rush through such a decision but to take our time and ensure that we are comfortable, the EPA is comfortable, the Ministry of Natural Resources is comfortable before we issue an approval,” Minister Bharrat said.
The One Guyana FPSO is operating alongside three other FPSOs – Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, and Prosperity. Collectively, they are producing an average of 900,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd).
An increase in the production could see the daily production level surpassing 1 million barrels of oil per day.
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