Liza 1

Liza Destiny FPSO Achieves First Oil in 2019

January 2020

The Liza Phase 1 project achieved first oil on December 20, 2019! The Liza Phase 1 project made history as the first oil and gas development in Guyana and was onstream less than five years from discovery.

During 4Q19, the team focused on hookup and commissioning activities and put in tremendous effort to prepare for first oil. In October, the Saipem Constellation vessel completed the installation and hookup of the main static and dynamic umbilicals for Liza Phase 1. The Skandi Neptune completed the installation of the remaining flowline jumpers for the subsea manifolds, and the Saipem Constellation vessel completed the final riser recovery and installation on the Liza Destiny FPSO. Once the FPSO completed final tie-ins and hookup, rigorous testing was performed as well as final equipment checks to ensure operations readiness.

There was an incredible One Team spirit during the fourth quarter as ExxonMobil, SBM, Saipem, and TechnipFMC worked together toward first oil. The team had to overcome many challenges during 4Q19, two of the biggest being weather and SIMOPS; however, the team sought opportunities to progress work in parallel and optimized the schedule in order to achieve the best overall project progress, even when that meant one activity would be completed slower than planned. For example, the team agreed to adjust Drilling’s well sequencing in order to allow continued access to the gas injection drill center during the final installation and hookup activities – demonstrating a true One Team approach to make the best decision for the project as a whole!

Liza Destiny FPSO in its home in offshore Guyana

Production from the first phase of the Liza field is expected to reach its full capacity of 120,000 barrels per day in the coming months with the first cargo to set sail within several weeks of first oil. Below are some key milestones for this history-making project.

The Liza discovery was announced in May 2015.
Major contracts for Liza Phase 1 were awarded by year-end 2016.
The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) “Tina” arrived at the Keppel yard in 4Q17.
First steel strike occurred for FPSO topsides construction at the Dyna-Mac yard in Singapore in January 2018.
First topsides module lifted onto the FPSO in November 2018.
The first 2 subsea trees completed by TechnipFMC in 3Q18.
Saipem’s first shipment of production pipe arrived in Guyana in December 2018.

Subsurface team installed the first well completion in early 2019.
The final topsides lift onto the FPSO was completed in January 2019.
First two subsea trees from TechnipFMC available for installation in 1Q19.
The first pipe was laid on the seabed in Guyana and the first subsea tree was installed during 2Q19.
The Liza Destiny FSPO was dedicated and named in June 2019.
The Liza Destiny FPSO sailed away from Singapore in July and arrived in Guyana in August 2019.
Installation of the flowlines and risers were completed during 3Q19.
Hookup and commissioning were completed and the project achieved first oil in 4Q19.