SEO Title: Liza Crude from Guyana: A High-Value Light Oil in Global Markets
Slug: liza-crude-oil-yield-comparison
Category: Petroleum Exploration, Crude Oil Analysis
Tags: Liza crude, Guyana oil, oil yield, light sweet crude, residuum content, oil refining, global oil markets, Guyana-Suriname Basin

Liza Crude from Guyana: A High-Value Light Oil in Global Markets

The quality and yield profile of a crude oil barrel play a critical role in determining its market value. With global demand favoring lighter, cleaner-burning fuels, Liza crude from Guyana has emerged as a top-tier performer in today’s refining landscape.

The chart below ranks 14 benchmark crudes by residuum yield—the heavier bottom fractions used for lower-value products like bunker fuel. The lower the residuum percentage, the lighter and more desirable the crude.

Where Does Liza Stand?

– Liza ranks 6th among 14 prominent crudes.
– It has a residuum content of just 24.2%, which is much lower than heavier grades like Maya (Mexico), Djeno (Congo), and Merey (Venezuela).
– This makes it more efficient for refining into diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, and naphtha, the highest value streams in downstream markets.
– It’s lighter than Arabian Light and Iran Light, and competes closely with Brent and WTI in terms of yield structure.

What This Means for Guyana and also for Suriname’s oil from the Golden Lane.

Guyana’s position in the global energy map continues to rise with production from the prolific Stabroek Block. Liza’s high-quality yield enhances its strategic value, making it a go-to feedstock for refiners worldwide.

For investors, producers, and policymakers, understanding crude yield profiles like this offers deep insights into pricing power, export strategy, and refinery alignment.

Conclusion

Liza isn’t just about quantity—it’s about refinable quality. As Guyana scales production, expect this high-value light sweet crude to remain a key driver in the global energy mix.

Credit: Data based on a very interesting post of Abdulaziz Al-Attar, Kuwait on LinkedIn on 12th April 2025. Many thanks for posting your most valuable data.

The following text accompanied this essay when I posted it on LinkedIn, in April 2025:

Liza crude oil from #Guyana is highly regarded for its low residuum content of 24.2%, making it more desirable for refining into high-value products like diesel and gasoline.

As I indicated in a previous post, a main part of Stabroek, Canje Formation oil, is transported to and refined in the Netherlands, Rotterdam and in Spain.
Ranked 6th among global crudes, it enhances Guyana’s strategic position in the energy market as production increases from the Stabroek Block.

I expect Suriname’s oil from the Golden Lane area to have similar characteristics and high value.
The enormous volumes of high quality petroleum in the unveiling Guiana Suriname Basin, in my humble opinion fully justify to invest soonest in the construction of a new refinery, tailored to this offshore petroleum, such as in Suriname.
Refining own crude oil at home, delivers a tremendous added value, ROI and vast local content opportunities, instead of just selling it for a base price as crude.

I find it really incredible that even the mere idea of “ possibly “ building a new refinery is never indicated in future macro-economic plans of Suriname.
On whatever level, publication, post or discussion, as far as I could follow.
Staatsolie already did the PSC-provided 20% farmin in the 750 million barrels Block 58 Gran Morgu development.
Means already 150 million available barrels to be refined at “ home “.

As it will undoubtly represent a country and in fact regional game changer.
A resilient, transformative and high local content, key element for the petroleum driven future of switi Sranan, in my opinion.

I have presented this, with technical specifications, earlier in a LinkedIn post.

As well as suggested already back in 2009.
When the “ old “ Tout Lui Faut refinery was to be upgraded, with an almost 1 billion (?) investment, but upgraded only for heavy Tambaredjo oil.
Already in that time the Mission & Vision of SOM clearly indicated that vast amounts of light petroleum were to be expected in the “ near future ”.
That near future? Is right now, anno 2025.
Prolific offshore Guiana Suriname basin.

The grand impact could be similar, to the transformative change that the 1918 Shell refinery on Curaçao has caused to the island, last century.
From a poor, barren island to a modern thriving and paradisiac place in the emerald green and blue Caribbean sea.
It has been indicated that in total probably some 5 billion barrels of crude have been refined in this refinery.

Further on Liza, Stabroek Block, Golden Lane, ACT/Canje Source Rocks petroleum:

Credit OilNow, May 15, 2025

According to Quantum Commodity Intelligence, an independent price reporting agency, China is set to take delivery of a direct shipment of Guyanese crude oil, the first in three years. Data from commodity analytics firm Kpler showed a very large crude carrier (VLCC) scheduled to load nearly two million barrels this week, Quantum said.

The tanker Ulysses departed from the Liza Destiny floating oil production vessel in the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block in Guyana on May 14, a check with tracking services showed. Quantum reported that the vessel will sail east via the Cape of Good Hope for a late June arrival in China.

If completed as planned, it would mark the first direct voyage from Guyana to the Far East aboard a VLCC since 2022, according to Kpler data cited by Quantum. It said such VLCC loads do not typically go directly to Asian destinations like China, but are offloaded at the Trans Panama Pipeline’s Atlantic facilities for transport to the Pacific Coast, and then reloaded onto other tankers bound for Asia.

Panama is one of the top direct destinations for Guyanese crudes since the start of the year, according to data accumulated from Marine Traffic, Vessel Finder, Maritime Optima, and OilX. The crude grades exported from Guyana are also favored by Europe, mainly the Netherlands, the data shows.

Guyana’s crude production currently exceeds 600,000 barrels per day (b/d) from three developments. A fourth is set to boost output to about 900,000 b/d when it starts production in the third quarter. 

In addition to ExxonMobil, its Stabroek partners Hess and CNOOC, and the Guyana government are entitled to the crude, which is divided based on a production sharing agreement (PSA) and may be sold. The Guyana government expects 246 cargoes, each approximately a million barrels, to be exported this year.

Question and Added Value Musing and Proposal?

Why should one sent its own petroleum from Guiana Suriname Basin, to Europe and China, to be refined.

With a total transport cost of ~$3.8M–$4.57M for 2 million barrels:

Total Cost	Cost per Barrel
$3.8 million	$1.90
$4.57 million	$2.29

Why not set up your own refinery, add substantial value to your own product.

Plus resilient local content spinoffs.

Recommendation?

Build your own refineries in Guyana and Suriname.

Seems so logical to me.