By Kemol King

GEORGETOWN, March 19 (Reuters) - A new floating

production facility for a consortium led by Exxon Mobil ( XOM )

in Guyana is "almost complete" and expected to soon depart from

Singapore, part of the U.S. major's effort to accelerate the

startup of oil and gas projects in one of its most important

plays amid rising crude prices.

The floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO)

platform Errea Wittu, being built by Japanese firm MODEC ( MDIKF )

, is the fifth to be installed by the Exxon group in the

South American country. It will produce, store and deliver up to

250,000 barrels per day from the Uaru offshore project.

Exxon had previously said the output vessel would arrive in

Guyanese waters this year, without further details.

The head of Exxon in Guyana, Alistair Routledge, told

reporters on Thursday that currently high crude prices are

expected to help the company recover costs in the country this

year, earlier than in 2027 as originally forecast.

Following Uaru, Exxon is on track to start the next project,

Whiptail, by the end of 2027, while trying to accelerate the

startup of the seventh project, Hammerhead, for 2028, Routledge

said.