Days after a small fire broke out in the laundry room within the living quarters of the Liza Unity Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, prompting a temporary suspension of operations, the vessel has reportedly been cleared to resume operations. Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat confirmed that operations resumed on Monday in a comment to the Guyana Times. He nevertheless stated that the Government, through his Ministry will continue to engage ExxonMobil and relevant regulatory agencies while reiterating that personnel onboard remain paramount. In a statement on Monday, the Ministry noted that ExxonMobil said the appropriate response procedures were immediately initiated and that all personnel aboard the vessel are safe and accounted for.

”The Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to note that the relevant regulatory authorities will conduct the necessary follow-up to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Ministry remains committed to prioritising the safety and well-being of workers and ensuring the highest standards of safety across offshore operations,” the statement noted. According to ExxonMobil, heat detectors aboard the Liza Unity FPSO were activated in the laundry room of the living quarters, indicating a small fire that was quickly extinguished. Operations were suspended as part of the established safety response and will resume following the completion of the necessary checks. The Liza Unity, built by Dutch shipbuilder SBM Offshore for the Liza Phase Two Project, is one of four FPSOs currently being operated by ExxonMobil in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

With an installed capacity to produce approximately 220,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), Liza Unity was the second FPSO built for the Stabroek Block development and started production in February 2022. The United States oil giant is preparing to fire up its fifth FPSO offshore in Guyana – the Errea Wittu, which only arrived in Guyana last week for the US$12.7 billion Uaru development.