ExxonMobil has announced plans to commence the drilling of its first exploratory well off the coast of Liberia in November.

According to a company’s spokeswoman, ExxonMobil’s subsidiary in the country intends to drill a deepwater exploration well on the Liberia-13 Block.

“ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Liberia, an affiliate of ExxonMobil, plans to drill a deepwater exploration well on the Liberia-13 Block, located about 50 miles offshore Liberia, beginning in November 2016,” the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile Exxon regional public and government affairs adviser, Matthew Scharf, said that the cost of the drilling and the duration is yet unknown.

The West African country does not produce oil but intends to join the league of oil producing countries starting from 2017 like its eastern neighbor, Ivory Coast, which produces about 53,000 bpd, and Ghana, which pumps about 100,000 bpd.

In 2011, ExxonMobil began drilling efforts on block 13, but was later postponed due to the Ebola epidemic, which killed about 4,800 people.

The country has unproven reserves estimated at about one billion barrels of oil and has created 30 concessionary oil blocks including 17 deep-water blocks and 13 ultra-deepwater blocks, according to figures from the National Oil Company (NOC) of Liberia.

“This project will create jobs for Liberians and help the economy .... If they can find oil of commercial quality,” Clarence Moniba, deputy chief of staff to the Liberian President told Reuters.

Anita Fatunji