Halliburton, ExxonMobil push toward fully automated drilling offshore Guyana

Halliburton, in collaboration with ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), has completed the oil and gas industry’s first fully automated geological well placement with complete rig automation offshore Guyana, according to a recent press statement.

In addition to ExxonMobil, the United States-based oilfield services company said it also worked with Sekal, Noble, and the Wells Alliance Guyana team for this project, which delivered a groundbreaking step forward in digital well construction.

The project combined rig automation, automated subsurface interpretation and well placement, and real-time hydraulics to establish a new benchmark for well construction performance, reservoir contact, and execution efficiency, the March 16 release from Halliburton stated.

It noted that this achievement advances the FutureWell initiative in the Wells Alliance Guyana effort by unifying subsurface insight, automation, and rig systems to improve execution.

Halliburton said it used LOGIX™ orchestration and automated geosteering with the EarthStar® ultra-deep resistivity service and Sekal’s DrillTronics® to create an integrated closed-loop system. The system steers the well within reservoir boundaries and autonomously optimizes drilling and tripping operations.

Real-time optimization algorithms and geological inversion data inform automated rig control, hydraulics, and well placement within a single workflow to eliminate the traditional separation between subsurface interpretation and drilling execution.

“Our teams create new performance levels when subsurface insight, automation, and drilling systems operate through one closed-loop automation system. This breakthrough digital orchestration transforms execution efficiency and advances automated well construction from concept to field-proven results and sets the foundation for consistent well placement in the best rock every time,” Vice President of Halliburton Sperry Drilling, Jim Collins, said.

According to the missive, Halliburton product service lines and the Wells Alliance Guyana team executed the project through highly integrated collaboration. Ongoing feedback loops between drilling, geology, and automation teams ensured reliable closed-loop performance throughout the effort.

Meanwhile, Vice President of Wells at ExxonMobil, Rod Henson, stated that, “This achievement demonstrates how collaboration and advanced automation can transform well construction efficiency and reliability… It represents a significant step forward for Guyana’s energy development and the industry’s digital future.”

According to Halliburton, its LOGIX™ orchestration and Sekal’s DrillTronics solutions exceeded performance targets. The reservoir section finished about 15 percent ahead of plan, and tripping operations reduced time by about 33 per cent.

The system demonstrated measurable efficiency gains of closed-loop automation beyond drilling. It also maintained precise well placement in challenging conditions and placed about 470 meters of the lateral section in the reservoir with active automated geo-steering and inclination corrections during the run.

With this achievement, Halliburton has expanded its closed-loop automation capabilities in multiple geographies and leads the industry’s shift from automation-assisted drilling to repeatable, scalable well construction automation.

The Houston and Dubai-headquartered company, which was founded in 1919, provides products and services to the energy industry. It has been providing services to the local energy sector since 2015 through Halliburton Guyana Inc.

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, along with its co-venturers, has been operating in the oil-rich Stabroek block offshore Guyana, where they are now producing approximately 900,000 barrels of oil daily (bopd).

Currently, they have four offshore projects – Liza Phase 1 using the Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Liza Phase 2 using the Liza Destiny FPSO, Payara using the Prosperity FPSO, and Yellowtail using the One Guyana FPSO, which started up last year.

The Stabroek co-venturers have committed more than US$60 billion to develop seven government-sanctioned projects on Guyana’s offshore Stabroek block, including Uaru, Whiptail, and Hammerhead.

The Uaru and Whiptail projects, Guyana’s fifth and sixth projects, are each expected to produce approximately 250,000 bopd. The projects are expected to begin operations in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

Hammerhead, the seventh project, is expected to add approximately 150,000 bopd when production begins in 2029. An eighth project, Longtail, is currently undergoing regulatory reviews. Once approved, ExxonMobil Guyana expects to have a total production capacity of 1.7 wmillion bopd from eight developments.

The US oil giant ExxonMobil’s local affiliate, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, is the operator and holds a 45 percent interest in the Stabroek block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd., which has sold its shares to Chevron, holds a 30 percent interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds the remaining 25 percent interest.