得益于大量的重大石油發現，圭亞那的石油工業正在蓬勃發展 

埃克森美孚公司正在引領這一新的石油前沿  

這個國家將成為全球一個主要石油出口國，其石油產量將遠遠超過國內需求

據美國油價網6月14日報道，全球能源巨頭埃克森美孚公司及其合作伙伴赫斯公司在圭亞那近海獲得了數量驚人的高質量石油發現。今年4月，埃克森美孚公司宣布在面積達660萬英畝的斯塔布魯克區塊又獲得了3個新的石油發現。埃克森美孚公司擁有斯塔布魯克區塊45%的權益，赫斯公司擁有30%的權益。

這3個石油發現是在Barreleye-1井、Patwa-1井和Lukanani-1井中獲得的，這些發現井都位于麗莎油田和帕拉亞開發項目的東部。至此，今年在圭亞那近海獲得的石油發現數量達到了5個，自2015年以來在斯塔布魯克區塊共獲得了至少31個石油發現。埃克森美孚公司估計，這些最新石油發現使其在斯塔布魯克區塊的可開采石油資源達到110億桶。這是過去20年來世界上最大的石油發現。

在圭亞那近海發現的石油資源不僅限于埃克森公司牽頭的國際財團在斯塔布魯克區塊的作業，世界其他能源公司也報告了類似優質的石油發現。今年1月份，加拿大鉆井公司弗龍特拉能源公司 （哥倫比亞第三大石油生產商）與合作伙伴CGX 能源公司 （弗龍特拉能源公司是其控股股東）宣布在Corentyne區塊發現石油。Kawa-1井位于該區塊的北端，深達21578英尺（6577米），在鉆進過程中鉆遇了177英尺（54米）厚的含油氣儲集層。隨后，在今年5月的媒體發布會上，弗龍特拉能源公司表示，在Kawa-1進行了額外的鉆探作業，發現了額外的51英尺或15米厚的純產層，并在69米的范圍內發現了多個含油氣層。這家加拿大中等規模上游石油生產商計劃在今年第三季度在位于Corentyne區塊的Kawa-1井西北14公里處開鉆Wei-1初探井。

業內人士稱，Corentyne區塊的北端包含著穿過斯塔布魯克區塊到蘇里南近海第58號區塊的同一條油道。據弗龍特拉能源公司稱，在Corentyne區塊發現的地質情況與海上蘇里南第58號區塊的地質情況相當，在該區塊中，擔任運營商的道達爾能源公司和擁有50%股份的合作伙伴阿帕奇公司已經獲得了5個優質石油發現。這些數字加上明顯的跡象表明，圭亞那-蘇里南盆地的石油潛力大大超過了美國地質調查局（USGS）在2001年5月估計的未發現石油資源約152.5億桶的平均值。赫斯公司首席執行官約翰·赫斯在今年6月初表示，他相信在鉆取更深井的時候，斯塔布魯克區塊將會發現更多的大型油氣田。到目前為止，在斯塔布魯克區塊的31個發現中，大多數都位于約15000英尺（4572米）的深度，但今年早些時候完成的Fangtooth-1井在鉆探1.8萬英尺后，發現了164英尺（50米）厚的優質含油儲集層。這表明，由埃克森美孚公司牽頭的國際財團在斯塔布魯克區塊發現的110億桶可開采石油資源很可能是一個開始，當鉆取深度更深的井時，還會有更大規模的發現。

由于這些原因，能源行業內部人士認為，美國地質調查局在2001年的評估中嚴重低估了圭亞那-蘇里南盆地的可發現石油資源。美國政府機構表示，圭亞那-蘇里南盆地的未探明石油儲量為28億—326億桶，遠遠低于埃克森美孚在斯塔布魯克區塊發現的儲量。這些進展表明，迫切需要重新評價圭亞那-蘇里南盆地的石油潛力。美國地質調查局原計劃在2020年重新評估圭亞那-蘇里南盆地，但這一計劃因疫情而推遲。圭亞那海上蘊藏的巨大石油潛力表明，這個國家最終可能擁有比鄰國巴西更多的石油儲量。巴西監管機構國家碳氫化合物局宣布，到去年年底，巴西已探明石油儲量為132.4億桶。

根據赫斯公司的說法，斯塔布魯克區塊的開發仍在快速進行。雖然行業分析師曾在2020年預測，到2027年前圭亞那的原油日產量將達到120萬桶，但根據最新的發展情況，各種跡象表明，到那時圭亞那的原油產量將遠高于現在。喬治敦的政府官員認為，在未來5年內，通過12艘浮式產油儲油和卸油船，原油日產量將達到150萬桶，甚至更多。如果這一目標實現，這個南美洲小國（以2021年的產量為基準）將成為拉丁美洲和加勒比地區第三大產油國，產量僅次于巴西和墨西哥。這將為圭亞那帶來巨大的經濟繁榮。這個國家將成為全球主要的石油出口國，其石油產量將遠遠超過國內需求，而圭亞那政府的金庫將在不到10年的時間內快速膨脹，預計年收入將超過100億美元。借助最新的石油發現，埃克森美孚公司將加大鉆取更深井的計劃，而喬治城將專注于建設急需的工業基礎設施并吸引更多投資，這意味著圭亞那有潛力成為南美洲主要的石油生產國。 

李峻 編譯自 美國油價網

原文如下：

Guyana Could Overtake Brazil As South America’s Top Oil Producer

Guyana’s oil industry is booming thanks to a number of massive discoveries.

Exxon is leading the charge on this new oil frontier.

The country will materialize as a leading global oil exporter with its petroleum output far exceeding domestic demand.

Global energy supermajor ExxonMobil and its partners Hess  have made an astonishing number of high-quality oil discoveries in offshore Guyana. In April 2022 Exxon announced that it made three more discoveries in the 6.6-million-acre Stabroek Block, where it is the operator holding a 45% interest with 30% owned by Hess . The discoveries were made at the Barreleye-1, Patwa-1 and Lukanani-1 well all of which lie to the east of the Liza oilfield and Payara development. That brings the number of oil discoveries thus far this year in offshore Guyana to five and a total of at least 31 discoveries in the Stabroek Block since 2015. Exxon estimates that those latest discoveries give it around 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil resources in the Stabroek block. This is the world’s largest oil discovery in two decades.

The swath of oil discoveries in offshore Guyana are not limited to the Exxon-led consortium’s operations in the Stabroek Block, other energy companies are reporting similar quality finds. In January 2022 Canadian driller Frontera Energy, Colombia’s third largest oil producer, along with partner CGX Energy, of which Frontera is the controlling shareholder, announced the discovery of oil in the Corentyne Block. The wildcat Kawa-1 well was drilled in the northern tip of the block to a depth of 21,578 feet or 6,577 meters with 177 feet or 54 meters of hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs found. Then in a May 2022 media release Frontera stated additional drilling at Kawa-1 had identified an additional 51 feet or 15 meters of net pay with multiple hydrocarbon bearing zones running for 69 meters. The Canadian intermediate upstream oil producer plans to spud the Wei-1 wildcat well, 14 kilometers northwest of Kawa-1, in the Corentyne Block during the third quarter 2022.

Industry insiders claim that the northern tip of the Corentyne Block encompasses the same petroleum fairway which runs through the Stabroek Block into Block 58 offshore Suriname. According to Frontera the geology found in the Corentyne Block is comparable to offshore Suriname Block 58 where TotalEnergies, which is the operator, and 50% partner Apache have made five quality oil discoveries. Those numbers combined with clear signs that the Guyana Suriname Basin’s oil potential significantly exceeds the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) May 2001 mean estimated undiscovered oil resources of around 15.25 billion barrels. Hess Chief Executive Officer John Hess, in early June 2022, stated he believes further large hydrocarbon discoveries will be made in the Stabroek Block when drilling deeper. Most of the 31 discoveries made in the block, thus far, occurred at a depth of around 15,000 feet or 4,572 meters, but the Fangtooth-1 well, completed early this year, identified 164 feet or 50 meters of high-quality oil-bearing reservoirs after drilling 18,000 feet or 5,486 meters. This indicates that the 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil resources found by the Exxon-led consortium in the block could very well be the beginning, with further large-scale finds to be made when drilling at greater depths proceeds. 

For these reasons, energy industry insiders believe the USGS, during its 2000 assessment, grossly underestimated the discoverable oil resources in the Guyana-Suriname Basin. The U.S. government body had stated that the basin held undiscovered oil resources of 2.8 billion to 32.6 billion barrels which at the bottom-end is significantly less than the volume of oil discovered in the Stabroek Block by Exxon. These developments indicate a reappraisal of the basin’s oil potential is urgently required. The USGS was planning to reassess the Guyana-Suriname Basin in 2020, but this was delayed by the pandemic. The vast petroleum potential emerging in offshore Guyana indicates that the impoverished former British colony could eventually possess greater oil reserves than neighboring Brazil where the regulator, the National Hydrocarbon Agency, announced proven reserves of 13.24 billion barrels at the end of 2021.

The development of the Stabroek Block is continuing at a brisk pace, and according to Hess is ahead of schedule. While industry analysts predicted in 2020 that Guyana will be pumping 1.2 million barrels of crude oil daily by 2027, there is every indication, based on the latest developments, that output will be far higher by then. Government officials in Georgetown believe crude oil production could reach 1.5 million barrels per day, or more, from as many as 12 Floating Production Storage and Offloading facilities (FPSOs) in five years. If that is achieved it will see the tiny South American nation, based on 2021 production volumes, emerge as the third largest oil-producing nation in Latin America and the Caribbean with only Brazil and Mexico pumping more crude oil. Such an event will deliver a tremendous economic boom for Guyana. The former British colony will materialize as a leading global oil exporter with its petroleum output far exceeding domestic demand, while government coffers will swell with annual income expected to over $10 billion annually in less than a decade. The latest oil discoveries, Exxon’s plans to drill at greater depths and Georgetown’s focus on building out urgently needed industry infrastructure and attracting additional investment mean Guyana possesses the potential to become South America’s leading oil producer.