HOUSTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) has

awarded a contract to Shearwater Geoservices to acquire 3D

seismic images over its large deepwater block offshore Trinidad

and Tobago, ‌Shearwater said on Thursday.

Exxon's deepwater block offshore Trinidad is located ​north

of the Stabroek block in Guyana, the fastest-growing ‍oil

production site in the world.

The ⁠deepwater survey ⁠will cover approximately 6,000 square

kilometers and is scheduled to begin ‌in the first quarter ​of

2026. It is expected to take five months in water depths of

2,000 to ⁠3,000 meters.

Exxon signed a ‍production-sharing ​contract with Trinidad's

government in August last year for a large deepwater area that

was amalgamated from ‍seven blocks to one.

At the time of the signing, Exxon Vice President of Global

Exploration John Ardill said the company wanted to use its

knowledge about Caribbean geology to try ​and ‍replicate its

success in the neighboring waters of Guyana.

He also promised Exxon would move quicker ​in Trinidad than

it had in Guyana because of the amount of equipment already

across the border in Guyana and existing energy infrastructure

in Trinidad.

Exxon did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

An Exxon-led consortium ​has confirmed more than 11 billion

barrels of recoverable oil and gas beneath the waters of Guyana.