Guyana has approved the Longtail Project, its eighth offshore petroleum development and first targeting non-associated natural gas, with ExxonMobil announcing a US$12.5 billion investment and production expected to begin in 2030.
The Ministry of Natural Resources announced on Thursday, November 12, that Government had approved the project’s Field Development Plan and issued its Petroleum Production Licence. ExxonMobil separately confirmed that it had taken its final investment decision following the required approvals.
The ministry described the approval as “an important step towards the development and commercialization of its natural gas resources.”
Longtail will target nine reservoirs in the Stabroek Block. According to the ministry, the development is expected to yield approximately 776 million barrels of condensate over 30 years, using 27 production wells and 18 gas injection wells.
A newly built floating production, storage and offloading vessel will have the capacity to process approximately 1.2 billion standard cubic feet of gas daily and produce up to 250,000 barrels of condensate per day.
The development represents a further move towards gas-focused production. Guyana’s existing Gas-to-Energy initiative at Wales, Region Three, is designed to use associated gas produced alongside crude oil from the Liza developments. Longtail centres on gas and condensate-rich reservoirs.
Government has linked Longtail to President Dr Irfaan Ali’s proposed natural gas industrial site in Berbice. That vision includes a second offshore pipeline to support electricity generation and industries such as fertiliser manufacturing, alumina and mineral processing, and data centres.
However, ExxonMobil said transporting Longtail gas to shore by pipeline remains dependent on future investment decisions, market demand and the necessary infrastructure.
The ministry said the production licence requires a gas utilisation and export study covering reservoir performance, production forecasts, export timelines and marketing opportunities. It also requires gas-export safety systems and export facilities within the vessel’s base design. The development will have full gas reinjection capability.
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited will operate Longtail alongside Hess Guyana Exploration Limited and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited.
The approval comes as offshore production continues to expand. ExxonMobil reported on Thursday that its four operating Stabroek Block projects were producing approximately 900,000 barrels of oil daily. Uaru is expected to begin production during the fourth quarter of 2026, lifting output beyond one million barrels daily, while Whiptail and Hammerhead are scheduled to follow in 2027 and 2029, respectively.
