THE Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), in a notice published in the media, has warned all mariners of drilling operations that commenced on July 04, 2019 at the Lisa field, within the Stabroek Block.

Development of the Liza prospect will be done in phases. The operation, expected to last until August 21, 2019, will be conducted at four drill sites, of which the closest is approximately 97.8 nautical miles from the Guyana coast, and covers an area of one square kilometre and bound by 16 coordinates in the WGS84, Zone 21.

The process, involves the Noble Tom Madden Drill Ship supporting Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (EEPGL), and incorporating the use of a number of vessels. namely Cat Island, C. Installer, Paradise Island, Sanibel Island, Horn Island, Oryx, Emily Day McCall, Jack Edwards, Robert Adams, Clarence Triche, Eland, John G. McCall and Michael Crombie.

All the vessels will display the international signal for crafts that are engaged in such drilling activities.
MARAD is therefore urging mariners to stay clear of the vessels, and navigate with caution when in the vicinity. Communication can be made on VHF Channel16 via the Georgetown Lighthouse, the notice added.

U.S. oil giant, ExxonMobil has made 13 oil discoveries to date offshore Guyana in the Stabroek Block. With well over 5.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels in the Stabroek Block, production is expected to commence in March, 2020. The developments in Guyana’s budding oil-and-gas sector augurs well for the country with a population of approximately 750,000 people, observers have said.

Esso Exploration owns 45 per cent interest in the block, Hess Guyana Exploration – 30 per cent and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana owns the remaining 25 per cent.