Guyana's offshore oil production averaged 832,000 barrels per day (b/d) in August, according to government data reviewed by OilNOW. That is a fall of about 54,000 b/d, or 6.1%, from the 886,000 b/d recorded in July, and the lowest monthly figure since September 2025.

Most of the decline came from the Payara project. It averaged about 207,000 b/d in August, compared with 263,000 b/d in July, a drop of roughly 56,000 b/d. Output was particularly low in the first half of the month and recovered later. The report did not say what caused the shortfall, and it did not say whether the work was planned maintenance or an unplanned stoppage.

Liza 2 also produced less. It averaged about 239,000 b/d, against 245,000 b/d in July. The project recorded a small disruption after a fire aboard the Liza Unity floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel late in the month. ExxonMobil has said previously that the fire was small and was quickly extinguished.

Two projects held up better. Liza 1 rose to about 115,000 b/d from 108,000 b/d, and Yellowtail, the newest producing development, stayed close to its July level at about 271,000 b/d, compared with 270,000 b/d. Those gains offset only part of the loss at Payara. Together the four projects produced about 25.8 million barrels during the month.

August's average was the lowest since September 2025, when production was about 771,000 b/d. It was also the lowest since Yellowtail completed its ramp-up to its nameplate capacity of 250,000 b/d. The project began producing in August 2025 and reached that capacity in November, and it has since exceeded it. The August figure therefore marks a temporary return to a level below that seen since all four projects were running at or near their capacities.

Over the first eight months of 2026, output averaged about 891,000 b/d, so August sits roughly 59,000 b/d under the year-to-date figure. Production had already stayed below 900,000 b/d for a third month in a row, based on earlier OilNOW reporting.

The month also brought a milestone. Cumulative production since first oil in December 2019 passed one billion barrels during August.

Output is expected to rise again. Uaru, the fifth development in the Stabroek Block, is due to start production in the fourth quarter of 2026. Its Errea Wittu FPSO is designed to produce up to 250,000 b/d, which would lift the country's production capacity to a new high. All current output comes from Stabroek. ExxonMobil operates the block with a 45% interest, Chevron holds 30% through its Hess holding and CNOOC holds the remaining 25%.

Several questions were left open. Neither ExxonMobil nor the government was quoted on the Payara figures, and the report did not give the effect of the lower output on government revenue. Guyana receives a share of production under the Stabroek agreement, so a monthly dip of this size would reduce income, though the amount depends on prices and cost recovery, which the report did not cover.

Independent analysts could say whether the August figure is a one-off or a sign of wider reliability problems on the older vessels. Payara's recovery in the second half of the month suggests the problem may have been temporary, but one month of data does not settle the matter. September and October figures, and the start-up date for Uaru, will give a clearer picture.

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