ExxonMobil has articulated that the timeline for developing Guyana’s substantial offshore natural gas reserves is contingent upon the efficiency of the nation’s regulatory frameworks and bureaucratic processes. Dan Ammann, President of ExxonMobil Upstream Company and Vice President of ExxonMobil Corporation, delivered this message as a keynote at the 2026 Guyana Energy Conference.
Ammann emphasized that the successful model employed for Guyana’s rapid oil development—characterized by transparent roles, shared standards, and disciplined execution—must be replicated and intensified for the more complex gas sector. He outlined that gas development necessitates an integrated value chain, including specialized infrastructure for processing, compression, pipelines, and power systems, which requires synchronization across upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors.
The energy giant’s commitment is to move in ‘lockstep’ with the government. Ammann stated that ExxonMobil’s investment and project advancement are directly tied to the pace of governmental permitting, environmental reviews, market framework establishment, and final investment decisions. The readiness of the entire system, not just one company, dictates the development speed.
As a specific example, Ammann highlighted the planned $6.8 billion Hammerhead project. Designed to produce up to 95 billion cubic feet of gas daily, it is conceived as an integrated project from inception, with a pipeline to shore. The gas allocation strategy is flexible: a portion will power the operational FPSO vessel, while the remainder will fuel the national gas-to-energy project, support future domestic industry, or be re-injected to optimize oil recovery, thereby maximizing overall resource value.
Concurrently, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali announced progress on a separate, collaborative venture. He revealed that discussions with neighboring Suriname are ‘on target’ for a joint development of cross-border gas resources. This partnership aims to amalgamate gas supplies to transform a potential medium-scale project into a larger-scale initiative, enhancing economic benefits for both nations and the wider region. President Ali noted that investors are poised, awaiting these critical bilateral decisions.