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ExxonMobil warns that flaring and emissions from Seventh Project will harm Guyanese health
According to reports, Guyana’s offshore flaring peaked at 71.88 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) in January 2023.
Kaieteur News – ExxonMobil’s seventh deepwater development project in the Stabroek Block – Hammerhead – could result in health issues for humans and wildlife exposed to certain activities associated with the project.
The company issued the warning in a project summary filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 15. “Air emissions from the project may impact ambient air quality in the project area at a localized scale and contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” the document, seen by The Times, said.
The project’s activities, including flaring of associated natural gas, power generation, combustion by other vessels and support aircraft, fugitive emissions from crude oil storage and offloading, and miscellaneous fuel combustion sources such as incinerators, deck cranes and emergency generators, all impact air quality and climate.
To that end, the document states, “Increased local concentrations of criteria pollutants in ambient air may cause health impacts to exposed humans and wildlife. Combustion of hydrocarbons from project activities may result in greenhouse gas emissions.”
Notably, ExxonMobil also warned in its project summary that project activities could result in an increased demand on limited emergency and health services in Guyana, as well as a slightly increased risk of infectious disease transmission and impacts on the health and well-being of the community.
According to the oil company, “The introduction of a limited number of foreign professional workforce may have impacts on community health and well-being. Development may have impacts on community health and well-being within the project’s AOI (area of influence) due to land transportation, social interactions, or unconventional, unexpected events such as spills or releases.”
It is important to note that in another section of the project summary, ExxonMobil outlines a series of measures it will take to avoid these impacts. Its plans include taking steps to minimize non-routine flaring during compression trips and maintenance. Flaring refers to the burning of gas associated with oil production. The safest but least cost-effective option is to reinject the gas into the well. Another measure Exxon will take is to install waste heat recovery units (WHRU) on turbine generators where feasible to reduce the need for more power generation or combustion heaters, thereby reducing gas consumption.
ExxonMobil also said it will “optimize gas turbine maintenance to ensure gas turbines are not overhauled more frequently than needed and that overhauls are completed at the right time, aligned with other FPSO maintenance activities to reduce the need for flaring.”
Meanwhile, to address the impact on community health and well-being, the oil company has pledged to implement community safety programs for schools and communities that may be affected to raise awareness and minimize the likelihood of vehicle accidents affecting the community. The Hammerhead development project will produce 120,000 to 180,000 barrels of oil per day. The project is located in the south-central part of the Stabroek block, approximately 160 kilometers from Georgetown. Current plans include drilling via a drillship to produce oil using approximately 14 to 30 production and injection wells. Production is expected to begin in 2029, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals, and to operate for at least 20 years.
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