–  as it targets Hamlet exploration well in Guyana’s offshore basin

EXXONMOBIL Guyana has identified plans to drill the ‘Hamlet’ exploration well in the southeast portion of its offshore blocks, according to the head of the U.S. oil major in Guyana, Alistair Routledge.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Routledge stated that the Hamlet well will be “looking for an oil play in the southeast portion” of ExxonMobil’s acreage in the Guyana-Suriname basin which has seen numerous significant oil and gas discoveries by the company in recent years.

The well is named after the ‘Mutton hamlet’ fish, known as ‘Alphestes afer’ and belongs to the family ‘Epinephelidae’ and is native to Guyana
While Routledge did not provide a specific timeline for the Hamlet well, he indicated that the company was currently progressing the necessary approvals from the government and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to drill the well.

The Hamlet well is part of ExxonMobil’s ongoing exploration efforts in Guyana, as the company continues to assess the prospectivity of the basin. Routledge noted that the company was “still looking to drill additional exploration wells” to further unlock the potential of the region.

“We’re building an exploration option. We drilled some large exploration wells last year, with adjusting the results of those…We will drill well where we see attractive prospects’
The Hamlet well represents the latest in a series of exploration activities undertaken by ExxonMobil in Guyana, where the company has made over 30 discoveries in the Stabroek block since 2015.
Last month, during his appearance on the Energy Perspectives podcast, confirmed that 30 development wells will be drilled this year to support Yellowtail, Uaru and Whiptail, three massive oil projects offshore Guyana.

“As always, at this stage, we’re investing in a mix of wells. The Yellowtail project is starting up. We will also be drilling wells for other projects that are going to start up soon. Around about 30 development wells in 2025, spanning across Yellowtail, but also Uaru and the Whiptail developments. So really important year for us, as we drill those wells and prepare for those developments to start up in 2026 and 2027.”
“On top of that, we continue to explore and appraise the resource across the block. And we expect to have around two rank exploration wells. So, looking for new opportunities and plays and then continuing our appraisal work on resources across the block, everywhere, from probably the Ranger discovery that we made a few years ago, down to the resources southeast, what we call the gas area of the block,” Routledge explained during his appearance on the podcast.

Back in 2018, ExxonMobil announced the discovery of 230 feet of high-quality oil at its Ranger-1 well within the Stabroek Block, approximately 60 miles northwest of the Liza Phase One development. However, the discovery has remained relatively low-profile since then.

Addressing the delay, ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge had attributed it to the well’s location and geological composition.
“And it’s more challenging to develop a carbonite discovery, than it is to develop a sandstone, which is predominantly all of our developments to date have been in sandstone,” Routledge explained.
He further noted that extensive geoscience analysis is required to assess the data collected from drilled wells, including nearby exploratory wells, to determine the potential for development in that area.

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary, operates the Stabroek Block with a 45 per-cent stake. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds a 30 per-cent share, while CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, controls the remaining 25 per-cent.

Currently, ExxonMobil is producing oil offshore Guyana from three major developments: Liza Phase One and Two, which use the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, and the Payara Project, which is supported by the Prosperity FPSO.

The Prosperity vessel began production in November last year and has since exceeded a daily output of 200,000 barrels of oil. Combined, the three FPSOs—Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, and Prosperity—produce more than 625,000 barrels per day.

In total, Guyana produced over 220 million barrels of oil in 2024.  Once the Yellowtail project becomes operational, production is expected to rise to 810,000 barrels per day by 2027. Additionally, Exxon has received approvals and is advancing preparations for its fifth and sixth offshore developments, Uaru and Whiptail.

Meanwhile, the company has finalised the acquisition of all three FPSO vessels currently in operation within the Stabroek Block, including the purchase of the Liza Destiny FPSO for US$535 million.