From alumina production to powering data centers, Exxon exploring options for gas use

Significant gas reserves were found offshore Guyana and President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, has said the company is exploring the opportunities for the use of these resources.

Mr. Routledge told delegates at the 2025 Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo that possible gas ventures include refining bauxite to make alumina, power data centres, and supplying energy to fertiliser plants.

ExxonMobil and the Government of Guyana will explore these options and develop the gas market, Routledge added.

He gave an update on the company’s oil and gas operations in the prolific Stabroek Block on Wednesday. Though several new oil projects are unfolding, Mr. Routldge said recent appraisal work has shown that there are substantial gas resources for use.

Already, about 50 million cubic feet per day (mcf/d) of gas will be supplied to the mega energy project at Wales, West Bank Demerara. The gas will be transported via a pipeline from the Liza project in the Stabroek Block.

A 300-megawatt (MW) power plant is being constructed in Wales; it will use natural gas from the Stabroek Block to generate cleaner, cheaper electricity. Additionally, a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) processing plant will treat the gas, removing liquids such as propane and butane for commercialisation.

At what ExxonMobil believes will be its eighth development, Longtail in the south-eat portion of the Stabroek Block, about 1 to 1.2 billion cubic feet per day can be produced. And with that, Routledge said, comes the opportunity to pursue several ventures be it alumina production or powering the data centres.

“It’s enormous,” he said, describing the non-associated gas reserves at Longtail.

He, however, noted that producing and marketing gas resources are a bit more complex than oil resources.

“Transporting and storing gas is much more expensive than it is to transport and store oil,” he said.

As such, the company is diligently studying the appraisal work done on the gas resources and exploring how the gas will be used.