By: Antonio Dey | HGPTV Nightly News
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited is expected to complete its latest seismic data collection exercise by December 2025, marking the conclusion of several months of advanced research aimed at improving oil production and reservoir management offshore Guyana.
Company President Alistair Routledge explained that the operation is part of a broader effort to enhance understanding of fluid movements beneath the seabed, thereby enabling more precise drilling and production decisions. Speaking during a press conference at ExxonMobil’s new headquarters in Ogle, Routledge said the company has been using ocean-bottom node technology — small, battery-powered pods placed on the seafloor — to capture high-resolution 3D and 4D seismic data.
“We literally take these nodes, place them on the sea floor… It’s higher-resolution 3D seismic imaging that allows us to better navigate as we drill the wells,” Routledge explained, comparing the process to an MRI scan that reveals detailed subsurface activity.
He noted that this technology enables Exxon’s engineers to determine how much oil to extract from each well, and when to shift to gas or water injection to sustain production. It also significantly accelerates data analysis — a process that once took over a year can now be completed in just one to two weeks, thanks to powerful computing systems and specialized algorithms developed at Exxon’s Houston Spring campus.
The current seismic survey, conducted by Norwegian company Shearwater GeoServices, is a six-month 4D ocean-bottom node study within the Stabroek Block. ExxonMobil has also engaged PGS for an earlier 4D survey and is planning five additional development projects, aiming to reach a production capacity of 1.7 million barrels of oil per day by 2030.
Routledge added that the insights from this year’s seismic campaign will be used to further refine ExxonMobil’s production strategies and field development planning in Guyana’s offshore oil sector.
