By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
HOUSTON, TEXAS — Guyana’s trajectory toward becoming a global energy titan reached a new milestone this week as ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge projected a staggering production capacity of 1.7 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) by 2030. Speaking at the 2026 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Routledge described the pace of development in the Stabroek Block as “outstanding,” noting that the nation is on the verge of a historic leap in output.
The announcement comes as Guyana’s current production holds stable at over 900,000 bpd, firmly establishing the country as one of the fastest-growing oil producers in the world.
The Road to One Million: Uaru and Beyond
Guyana is currently operating four major offshore developments—Liza 1, Liza 2, Payara, and Yellowtail. However, the “million-barrel mark” is now within arm’s reach.
- Current Output: Production from the four existing FPSOs averaged approximately 914,000 bpd in the first quarter of 2026.
- The Next Milestone: The Uaru project (the fifth development) is on track to start before the end of 2026. Once operational, it will push Guyana’s total production beyond 1.15 million bpd.
- Unprecedented Speed: Routledge highlighted that reaching one million barrels within seven years of “first oil” (2019) is a feat virtually unmatched in the history of the global petroleum industry.
Investing in the Workforce: Port Mourant and GTTCI
Routledge emphasized that ExxonMobil’s “shared vision” with the Government of Guyana extends beyond the rigs and into the classroom.
- World-Class Training: The recently opened US$120M Guyana Technical Training College Inc. (GTTCI) in Port Mourant, Berbice, is now the crown jewel of national workforce development.
- Localization: The facility is currently training its third and fourth cohorts of Guyanese technicians in specialized fields like mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation engineering, ensuring the workforce for the 1.7M bpd era is homegrown.
- The “Port Mourant Hub”: President Ali has designated Region Six as the “capital for national oil and gas training,” with plans to expand the facility’s reach to Suriname and the wider Caribbean.
A Partnership of Trust
ExxonMobil, along with its co-venturers Hess and CNOOC, credited the success of the Stabroek Block to a high-trust partnership with the Guyanese administration.
- Expanding the Horizon: Beyond the current seven sanctioned projects (including Whiptail and Hammerhead), an eighth development—Longtail—is currently undergoing regulatory review.
- Shared Vision: Routledge remarked that while Exxon operates in dozens of countries, few places have allowed for such a rapid, aligned build-out of infrastructure and human capital.
Beyond the Offshore
As the offshore sector prepares for its most exciting phase yet, the focus is shifting toward how this wealth translates onshore. From the Gas-to-Energy infrastructure at Wales to the technical hubs in Berbice, the “1.7 Million” figure is more than a production target—it is the engine for a wholesale industrial transformation of the Guyanese economy.
