Oct. 17 (oilnow.gy) Guyana’s Uaru Gold crude is expected to enter the market in December with a quality profile closely resembling the country’s first-produced Liza grade, according to preliminary assay data reviewed by Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, on October 14.
The new grade is expected to have an American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity of 31.5° and sulfur content of 0.54%, placing it among Guyana’s medium-sweet crudes. These measurements help refiners assess how oil will perform during processing and the amount of treatment needed to remove sulfur.
Uaru Gold will be produced by the Errea Wittu floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which is designed to add approximately 250,000 barrels per day (b/d) of production capacity offshore Guyana.
The crude will join four existing grades from ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block: Liza, Unity Gold, Payara Gold and Golden Arrowhead. Each has a distinct chemical profile that can influence its suitability for different refinery configurations.
Liza crude has an API gravity of 32° and sulfur content of 0.58%, making it the closest match to Uaru Gold among the existing grades. Unity Gold is lighter and contains less sulfur, at 34° API and 0.41% sulfur, while Payara Gold is heavier, at 29° API, with 0.60% sulfur. Golden Arrowhead is Guyana’s lightest and lowest-sulfur grade, at 36.5° API and 0.25% sulfur.
API gravity measures crude oil’s density relative to water, with higher readings indicating lighter oil. Sulfur content helps determine whether a grade is classified as sweet or sour, with lower-sulfur crude generally requiring less treatment to meet fuel specifications.
Errea Wittu’s planned capacity is expected to push Guyana’s oil production above one million b/d when the Uaru development comes online. The project is part of ExxonMobil and its co-venturers’ wider plan to reach 1.7 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in production capacity across eight developments by 2030.
ExxonMobil operates the block with a 45% interest. Chevron holds 30%, while CNOOC holds the remaining 25%.
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