Guyana Oil Exports Set to Surpass 1 Million Barrels per Day for First Time

Exporting more than one million barrels per day means Guyana is joining the ranks of major crude suppliers, despite producing virtually nothing just seven years ago. It also gives the small South American country a much larger role in global oil trade. The milestone refers to the daily average of barrels loaded for overseas buyers, not a single shipment.

Bloomberg’s preliminary December schedule lists 33 million barrels of crude exports. Averaged across the month, that equals approximately 1.06 million barrels per day. The first Uaru crude cargo is scheduled for December 11–12, with Uaru expected to contribute four million barrels during December.

The achievement reflects rapid offshore expansion since production began in 2019. ExxonMobil had confirmed output of 900,000 barrels per day by November 2025. New projects, including Uaru, Whiptail, Hammerhead, and Longtail, could raise installed capacity to approximately 1.7 million barrels per day by 2030.

FPSO stands for floating production, storage, and offloading. It is a vessel designed to produce crude from offshore wells, store the oil, and transfer it onto export tankers. This combines several essential functions at the production site. It allows Guyana to develop deepwater resources without relying on a conventional land-based oil facility.

Guyana’s growth has been built around successive FPSOs. Liza Destiny began commercial production in December 2019 with an initial capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. Liza Unity added about 220,000 barrels per day in February 2022, while Prosperity followed at Payara. The ONE GUYANA FPSO arrived for Yellowtail in August 2025.

The model is continuing with Errea Wittu for Uaru, Jaguar for Whiptail, and another FPSO for Hammerhead. Errea Wittu can produce 250,000 barrels per day and store about two million barrels. These vessels turn offshore discoveries into exportable crude supplies.

Guyana’s oil story began with ExxonMobil’s significant 2015 discovery in the offshore Stabroek Block. Commercial production followed in December 2019, when the Liza Phase 1 project and Liza Destiny FPSO started producing. The initial vessel was designed to produce 120,000 barrels per day. That created the foundation for a rapid production chain.

Expansion came through additional offshore developments and floating vessels. Liza Unity began operating in February 2022, adding roughly 220,000 barrels per day. Prosperity arrived at Payara in November 2023. The ONE GUYANA FPSO reached Yellowtail in August 2025 and added another 250,000 barrels per day. By November 2025, ExxonMobil confirmed production had reached 900,000 barrels daily.

Uaru then pushed exports beyond one million barrels per day in December. Its first crude cargo was scheduled for December 11–12. Cumulative Stabroek production also passed one billion barrels in September 2026. More projects could lift capacity to about 1.7 million barrels per day by 2030.

If Uaru, Whiptail, Hammerhead, and Longtail start as planned, Guyana’s oil industry could become substantially larger than it is today. The article projects that all eight developments together could lift installed production capacity to approximately 1.7 million barrels per day by 2030. That would cement Guyana’s rapid rise as a major non-OPEC producer.

Uaru is expected to add 250,000 barrels per day. Whiptail’s Jaguar FPSO is also designed to add 250,000 barrels per day, potentially lifting national capacity toward 1.3 million barrels daily. Hammerhead is planned to add another 150,000 barrels per day through a new FPSO. These projects provide the clearest stated additions.

Longtail is different because it will focus heavily on natural gas and condensate. Its oil contribution is not specified. Even so, the article’s combined projection is about 1.7 million barrels per day of installed capacity by 2030. That is roughly 800,000 barrels above the 900,000-bpd level confirmed in November 2025.

ExxonMobil is the central corporate developer in Guyana’s oil expansion. It discovered significant resources in the offshore Stabroek Block in 2015 and developed the projects that followed. Its FPSOs and developments moved Guyana from first oil in 2019 to 900,000 barrels per day by November 2025. ExxonMobil is also advancing later projects, including Longtail.

The Stabroek Block is the resource area underpinning the boom. Liza Phase 1, Liza Unity, Payara, Yellowtail, and the upcoming Uaru development are connected to this offshore production story. Cumulative production from the block surpassed one billion barrels in September 2026, showing its scale and importance to Guyana’s exports.

Guyana’s government provides the national oversight described in the article. It is reviewing Longtail’s development plan and production license application. The government also manages the country’s Natural Resource Fund, which accumulated approximately $3.3 billion by the end of 2025. Together, company investment and government approval shape future production.

Rapid oil production can bring Guyana faster economic growth and a growing pool of public resource revenue. The IMF reported that Guyana’s economy grew more than 19% in 2025. That expansion occurred as offshore projects increased production and exports. Oil can therefore affect national income far beyond the value of individual cargoes.

The article gives a clear financial example. Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund accumulated approximately $3.3 billion by the end of 2025. The fund represents a way for oil-related public resources to build over time as production expands. It also shows how offshore output is translating into a national financial asset, not only company revenue.

The effects come with a broader strategic shift. Guyana has become a major non-OPEC producer while supply disruptions in the Middle East raise concerns about shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Continued FPSO additions could further increase exports, production income, and the fund. The article does not detail spending plans or possible economic risks.

Crude oil is raw petroleum before it is refined into fuels and other products. Offshore production means extracting that petroleum from deposits beneath the seabed rather than from wells on land. Oil exports are shipments sold to buyers in other countries. Together, these activities connect Guyana’s natural resources to the global energy system.

Guyana’s process begins with offshore wells in the Stabroek Block. FPSO vessels produce the crude, store it, and load it onto export tankers. Liza Destiny started this system commercially in December 2019. Later vessels, including Liza Unity, Prosperity, and the ONE GUYANA FPSO, expanded the amount Guyana could produce and ship.

In December, Guyana’s preliminary schedule included 33 million barrels of crude exports, or about 1.06 million barrels daily. That makes the country a significant supplier outside OPEC. Future developments could raise installed capacity to approximately 1.7 million barrels per day by 2030, strengthening its link to international oil trade.