Dear Editor,
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken note of a recent article published headlined “Govt. greenlights Exxon’s 60,000-barrel surge – Liza Unity and Prosperity are now pumping above safe design limits.” The EPA wishes to correct several technical inaccuracies within this report and clarify the safety parameters governing these operations.
The Agency categorically states that the Liza Unity and Payara Prosperity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels are not operating above safe limits. The production optimisation was authorised following a rigorous, scientific review process in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act, Cap 20:05.
The media report incorrectly suggests a recent “60,000-barrel surge” above approved levels. The EPA wishes to clarify the specific optimisations authorised:
• Liza Unity: Authorisation was granted to maintain a target of 270,000 barrels per day (KBD), an optimisation from the previous steady state of ~252 KBD.
• Payara Prosperity: Authorisation was granted to maintain a target of 265,000 KBD, an optimisation from the previous steady state of ~252 KBD.
These increases were not arbitrary; they were achieved through strategic “Production Optimisation Tests” (POTs), which involved the gradual incremental increase in production while simultaneously verifying system stability at every increment.
The article erroneously conflates “nameplate design capacity” (approx. 220,000 bpd) with the “safe operating limit” or the “environmental assessment limit”.
• EIA Assessment Limits: The article claims the vessels are exceeding limits set by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This is factually incorrect.
o For Liza Unity, the approved EIA assessed potential environmental impacts for production rates up to 300,000 barrels per day. The current production level of 270,000 bpd is well within the safety envelope already studied and approved by the EPA.
o For Payara Prosperity, the EIA assessed impacts based on conservative annual averages that fully accommodate the current peak targets of 265,000 bpd without exceeding environmental thresholds.
The assertion that the vessels are operating “above safe limits” ignores the engineering upgrades mandated by the EPA.
• Liza Unity: The operator was required to install physical upgrades to crude oil heaters, coolers, and control valves to safely increase capacity to 270 KBD.
• Payara Prosperity: Technical evaluations confirmed the vessel possessed inherent design capacity to safely handle 265 KBD without major modifications.
Data submitted to the Agency during the testing periods confirms that environmental safeguards remain intact:
• Flaring remains at background levels, strictly for safety.
• Produced water discharges remain fully compliant with the regulatory limit of 29 mg/L (monthly average).
• Vibration and corrosion monitoring show all piping systems are operating within safe integrity limits.
To further underscore the Government’s commitment to safe operations, all production optimisation tests are done under the close collaboration between the EPA, along with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. Additionally, the EPA issued its formal “No Objection” for these rates to the Payara and Unity FPSOs only after independent verification confirmed that operations remain safe and environmentally sound. We urge stakeholders to rely on verified data regarding the sector’s regulation.