The project
Liza was the first deep-water production system in Guyanese waters, with a water depth of 1,500 m to 2,100 m. It was also the first and only onshore fabrication yard for subsea structures in Guyana. These projects saw the installation of high-performance rigid risers, which are lazy-wave steel catenary risers for complex environments and carry a high fatigue life. In total, Saipem took less than 3 years to get from contract to project installation, an impressive feat in coordination and management. Liza Phase 1 started in 2017 and concluded in 2019 with 66 km of subsea flowlines and risers, 5 subsea manifolds, 24 jumpers, 20 km of umbilicals, and a total subsea structure weight of 1,068 tons. Liza Phase 2, which ran from 2018 to 2021, finished with 113 km of subsea flowlines and structures, 8 subsea manifolds, 47 jumpers, 35 km of umbilicals, and a total subsea structure weight of 1,675 tons.
The successful performance of the Liza projects has led to the establishment of a long-term agreement with ExxonMobil under which three more projects were executed of increasing complexity and size: Payara, Yellowtail, Uaru, and Whiptail.
