It was reported by Reuters that Exxon has reduced its crude oil production at the Liza offshore field in Guyana due to the risk of excessive flaring. Gas flaring has been a problem at the Liza field since the equipment needed to reinject gas produced alongside the crude was not fully functional.
Output at the Liza field, which Exxon operates in a consortium with Hess Corp and CNOOC Ltd, has fallen to between 25,000-30,000 barrels per day according to Vincent Adams, Head of Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency.
That was down from between 75,000-80,000 bpd in early May, when authorities had anticipated that output from the field, which began production in December, would rise to 120,000 bpd by June. Exxon had to reduce crude output to avoid exceeding a 15 million cubic feet per day limit agreed to with authorities for gas flaring, Adams said.
Exxon said in a statement that it was continuing to complete final commissioning of the gas handling system. “The current situation is a temporary, unplanned event related to project startup,”
Exxon said. “Once the system is fully commissioned, we will be able to produce at full capacity.”