French oil major makes progress in South American project

TotalEnergies, the Paris based oil and gas company, has gained a foothold for its exploration project in Guyana at a cost of $25 million.

The South American country’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently screened TotalEnergies’ environmental authorisation application, which was filed for a $25 million seismic survey.

The planned project will entail a 3D shoot over the shallow water block S4 that Total secured in Guyana’s licensing round for 2022. The acreage was then awarded a year later, and an official production sharing agreement was completed in November 2025.

An international operator, TotalEnergies operates in 120-130 countries around the world and owns the Total Lubricants brand, which is marketed and available in over 160. Through the line, it supplies a full portfolio of products from specialist slideway oil to multi-use lubricating grease.

A notice issued by the EPA stated that it had determined the TotalEnergies project would not substantially impact the environment. As a result, it said that the initiative was exempt from needing an environmental impact assessment. However, before the project can enter the next phase, TotalEnergies must submit its environmental management plan, and appeals can be filed to veto the EPA decision.

Block S4 rests in waters with 20 to 30 metre depths, and the seismic survey is expected to require approximately 70 days to complete. The assessment will cover 2,000 km² around 40 km from Guyana’s shoreline. Acquisition work is now expected to start this summer, and the data processing necessary will need around 12 months to complete.

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