ExxonMobil Deploys Deepwater Drillship in Guyana

en.Wedoany.com Reported - ExxonMobil Guyana has continued development drilling at the WT_2P02 well site of the Whiptail project in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana since October 11, using the Noble Bob Douglas ultra-deepwater drillship owned by Noble Corporation, with the current operation scheduled for completion on November 30, 2026. The well site is approximately 102.3 nautical miles off the coast of Guyana, with a designated operating area of about 1 square kilometer, and multiple offshore support vessels are deployed during operations.

Whiptail is the sixth offshore oil field project approved for development by ExxonMobil in the Stabroek Block. The project reached final investment decision in April 2024, with a total investment of approximately USD 12.7 billion. It plans to establish up to 10 drilling centers, develop 48 production and injection wells, and deploy one floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. The project is designed for a crude oil production capacity of approximately 250,000 barrels per day, with production targeted to commence in 2027.

The Noble Bob Douglas used in this operation is a Gusto P10000 ultra-deepwater drillship that entered service in 2013, featuring a DP3 dynamic positioning system and a dual-activity configuration. Equipment specifications published by Noble Corporation show that the vessel has a maximum operating water depth of 12,000 feet, approximately 3,658 meters, and a maximum designed drilling depth of 40,000 feet, approximately 12,192 meters. The drillship is equipped with two blowout preventer systems and has dual-activity capability.

The drillship's main hoisting system has a rated hook load of 2.5 million pounds, and the auxiliary hoisting system has a rated hook load of 1.5 million pounds. The deck is equipped with four 2,200-horsepower drilling mud pumps, an automated pipe handling system, and drilling control equipment. The well control system includes blowout preventer-related equipment with a pressure rating of 10,000 psi, and is equipped with a 15,000 psi choke and kill manifold. The above specifications are the designed capabilities of the drillship equipment and are not the confirmed actual well depth or wellhead working pressure at the WT_2P02 well site.

The Noble Bob Douglas is also equipped with six 5,000-kilowatt azimuth thrusters and uses a Kongsberg DP3 positioning control system. The vessel is equipped with real-time drilling data monitoring, well control equipment status monitoring, and drill floor anti-collision systems. Its dual-activity centers and pipe handling equipment support the organization of offshore drilling operations. The actual drilling procedures and wellbore structure used in this round of the project have not yet been disclosed.

The Whiptail project has carried out development drilling operations at multiple well sites in 2026. Notice to Mariners No. 102 issued by Guyana's maritime authority in June showed that the Noble Sam Croft had planned to continue drilling at the WT_2P02 well site until July 31. In September, the Noble Bob Douglas was also conducting drilling operations at the WT_4i04A well site of the same project. This round of WT_2P02 operations and the previous operations belong to different time periods and well site arrangements, and the transfer of the drillship cannot be directly regarded as the completion of a new well.

ExxonMobil Guyana is responsible for the development and operation of the Stabroek Block. According to the previously officially announced equity structure, ExxonMobil Guyana holds a 45% interest, with other partners holding the remaining interest.