US supermajor ExxonMobil has started drilling its first exploration well in the Canje block offshore Guyana, in hopes of striking hydrocarbons and extend the string of discoveries seen in the neighbouring Stabroek block.

Drilling of the Bulletwood-1 wildcat started on 29 December using the Stena Drilling drillship Stena Carron in about 2800 metres of water.

According to a notice published by Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department, the campaign is expected to last about two months and is eyed for conclusion on 23 February.

Bulletwood-1 will target a “Liza look-alike” prospect in a confined channel complex of Late Cretaceous and Campanian-age reservoirs.

Project partner JHI Associates, which holds a 17.5% working interest in Canje, has previously estimated Bulletwood-1 to hold prospective resources of 500 million barrels of oil.

“Bulletwood-1 is the first well in a multi-well, fully funded, drilling campaign being operated by ExxonMobil on the Canje block over the next six months or so,” said Gerard Walsh, chairman of Westmount Energy, which holds an indirect stake in Canje through its 7.2% interest in JHI.

“This campaign will evaluate high impact Upper Cretaceous prospects in the proven Liza play fairway with, in some cases, additional deeper reservoir targets.”

A vast 3D seismic survey covering 6100 square kilometres carried out at Canje back in 2016 has also identified the Jabillo-1 and Sapote-1 prospects as potential drilling locations.

ExxonMobil has so far drilled 19 exploration wells in the Stabroek block, striking oil at 17 of them, with Liza being the largest discovery.

However, the company had a rare miss in November when it failed to make a commercial find with the Tanager-1 well in the adjacent Kaieteur block.

Tanager-1 was the deepest well ever drilled in the Guyana-Suriname basin. It reached a total depth of 7633 metres but encountered only 16 metres of net oil pay.

ExxonMobil operates both the Canje and Kaieteur blocks with 35% stakes each.

Exploration

ExxonMobil spuds maiden well in Canje block offshore Guyana