Neil Chapman, senior vice president, ExxonMobil says the company’s unique development plan will increase permain Basin growth output to 1 million barrel daily by 2024

By Anayo Ezugwu

THE ExxonMobil has revised its Permian Basin growth plans to produce more than 1 million oil-equivalent barrels per day by 2024. Neil Chapman, senior vice president, ExxonMobil, said the company is increasingly confident about its Permian growth strategy due to unique development plans.

He said the increase is nearly 80 percent and a significant acceleration of the company’s value. According to him, the size of the company’s resource base in the Permian is approximately 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels and is likely to grow further as analysis and development activities continue.

“We will leverage our large, contiguous acreage position, our improved understanding of the resource and the full range of ExxonMobil’s capabilities in executing major projects. Our plans are attractive at a range of prices and we expect them to drive more value as we continue to lower our development and production costs,” Chapman said.

ExxonMobil’s investments in the Permian Basin are expected to produce double-digit returns, even at low oil prices. At a $35 per barrel oil price, for example, Permian production will have an average return of more than 10 percent. The anticipated increase in production will be supported by further evaluation of ExxonMobil’s Delaware Basin’s increased resource size, infrastructure development plans, and secured capacity to transport oil and gas to ExxonMobil’s Gulf Coast refineries and petrochemical operations through the Wink-to-Webster, Permian Highway and Double E pipelines.

Among the company’s key advantages in the Permian, is its acreage position. The company has large, contiguous acreage that enables multi-well pads in large development corridors connecting to efficient gathering systems, reducing development costs and accelerating production growth. ExxonMobil’s scale, financial capacity and technical capabilities enable the company to maximize the value of the resource.

ExxonMobil is actively building infrastructure to support volume growth. Plans include construction at 30 sites to enhance oil and gas processing, water handling and ensure takeaway capacity from the basin. Construction activities include central delivery facilities designed to handle up to 600,000 barrels of oil and 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day and enhanced water-handling capacity through 350 miles of already-constructed pipeline.

“These investments support growth plans and ensure that as production levels continue to rise, we are well positioned in processing and transportation capacity.”

The investment plans will also bring great benefits to the local area. ExxonMobil’s expansion in the region will benefit communities in West Texas and southeast New Mexico through billions in property tax revenue, economic development and the creation of high-paying jobs.

ExxonMobil remains one of the most active operators in the Permian Basin and has 48 drilling rigs currently in operation and plans to increase its rig count to approximately 55 by the end of the year. Increased use of technology, including enhanced subsurface characterization, subsurface modelling and advanced data analytics to support optimization and automation, will help the company reduce costs, improve its development plan and increase resource recovery.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil has updated its growth plans and expects annual earnings potential to increase by more than 140 percent by 2025 from 2017 adjusted earnings, assuming an oil price of $60 per barrel and based on 2017 margins. Darren W. Woods, chairman and chief executive officer, ExxonMobil, said given the success the company experienced last year and the progress its making no plans, it have even greater confidence in ability to grow value for shareholders.

“We are exceeding the pace of our expected progress on the aggressive growth strategy we laid out last year,” Woods said. “We continue to enhance our industry-leading portfolio, and are leveraging our competitive advantages in integration, scale, technology and execution to deliver long-term value for our shareholders,” he said.

ExxonMobil’s updated earnings projection compares with last year’s estimated increase of 135 percent between 2017 and 2025, based on 2017 adjusted earnings. Cumulative earnings potential from 2019 through 2025 has increased by about $9 billion, supported by further improvements to the company’s investment portfolio and divestment plans.

ExxonMobil expects annual cash flow from operations to reach $60 billion in 2025, assuming oil prices at $60 per barrel and 2017 margins. Cumulative cash flow from operations and asset sales over the period from 2019 to 2025 is $24 billion higher than what was communicated at last year’s analyst meeting, including $15 billion from anticipated asset sales from 2019 to 2021.

– Mar. 8, 2019 @ 16:59 GMT |