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Guyana’s Local Content Policy and the complete education of all Guyanese children: OilNOW (Columnist) by Dr. Lorraine Sobers
Guyana’s oil production is set to ramp up rapidly in the next 5 years, but this is just the beginning. By early 2022, production will reach 340,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) with the arrival of the second floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. Recent estimates forecast production to escalate to 1 million bpd by 2027- just over 1 barrel of oil per day per capita. Recoverable oil resource estimates have been recently revised upward to 10 billion oil equivalent barrels accounting for recent discoveries made in September 2021.
Local Content Bill 2021 Series Pt 3: Kaieteur News
The PPP/C Government is proposing to implement several protective mechanisms in its Local Content Bill 2021 that will essentially strip oil companies of their current power to procure indigenous services as they see fit. According to the Bill, the government proposes to create a Local Content Register that will consist of approved nationals for employment and companies from which goods and services may be procured. The Bill notes that the government will create a Local Content Secretariat which would monitor the entire process. Nationals and companies would be encouraged to apply for and be issued with a certificate of registration from the Secretariat.
Rotary Club of Stabroek partners with Exxon, BrainStreet on hinterland online learning: Stabroek News, Guyana Times
The Rotary Club of Stabroek is collaborating with ExxonMobil Guyana and the BrainStreet Group to deliver interactive online education particularly in the hinterland communities, a release from the Club stated yesterday. BrainStreet Group is a local ICT services firm founded in 1994 that offers a range of management information and business system consulting services for government and private sector agencies. According to the release, this project follows a successful first-phase implemented in 2020 which saw online courses being developed and delivered for grades Three, Four, Five and Six subject categories to registered users on the BrainCentral platform.
Former PPP Minister demands urgent renegotiation of ‘wicked’ Exxon contract: Kaieteur News
Successfully achieving good governance policies to avoid the resource curse -Dutch Disease—is easier said than done and some symptoms of ‘Dutch Disease’ have begun to appear locally. This is according to former Minister in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, Geoffrey Da Silva, who yesterday in a public missive lamented that “many oil-producing countries had similar good intentions like those of the PPP/C government, but they became more underdeveloped and poor because their governments early on, ignored, downplayed or denied the creeping symptoms of ‘Dutch Disease—symptoms of which are already being experienced in Guyana.
Use oil money to address dangerous roads- Dr. Jerry Jailall: Kaieteur News
A Guyanese citizen, who resides in Canada, recently vented his frustrations about the state of Guyana’s main thoroughfares, describing the infrastructure as ‘abortion roads’ due to the ‘craters’ which he believes ought to be fixed with the country’s oil wealth. The citizen, Dr. Jerry Jailall, in a letter to the editor of this newspaper said, “In my recent trip to Guyana, I was so abhorred by the atrocious condition of the roads. I had seen the pictures of new roads being built and thought there was widespread progress, but realised those were just “a drop in the bucket” given the massive road building needs all over the country”.
More symptoms of Dutch Disease, PPP/C has to take national approach to good governance: Stabroek News (Letter to the Editor) by Geoffrey Da Silva
Since August 2020, the new PPP/C government has begun to implement an impressive two-pronged strategy… The most worrying threat of ‘Dutch Disease’ is that oil revenues will be a massive financial bonanza for American, Canadian, Chinese, European and Trinidadian companies and a small multi-ethnic elite of some Guyanese companies, politicians and officials, but not for the majority of Guyanese. The Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that was signed between Exxon (with its partners) and the former APNU+AFC Government of Guyana has to be changed. The new PPP/C government’s position is that they cannot renegotiate that PSA because they have to adhere to the sanctity of contracts. But until the wicked, hypocritical and onerous provisions of this PSA are renegotiated, as was done in Trinidad and Tobago and other countries, the people of Guyana will be denied the sanctity of their self-respect and well-being.
Guyana launches gas-to-energy project prequalification – Bnamericas
https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/guyana-launches-gas-to-energy-project-prequalification
Guyana inviting proposals for combined construction of gas-to-energy facilities: OilNOW
Even though it has already received Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the construction of the natural gas fired power plant for the imminent landmark gas-to-energy project, the Guyana government is now inviting proposals from firms that are capable of constructing the power plant as well as natural gas liquids facilities simultaneously. In a notice seen by OilNOW, the government said this decision follows extensive evaluation of technical and execution factors with Stabroek Block operator, ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).
New Exxon Guyana head office will supply power to Georgetown grid – Routledge: OilNOW
ExxonMobil’s new solar-powered local head office which is to be built at Ogle will provide electricity to the Georgetown power grid. So says President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, speaking at the recent 132nd annual awards ceremony of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). “While we advance the gas-to-energy project, our Ogle office is being constructed with net zero energy footprint powered by solar,” he said. “The solar array will help to generate surplus electricity, which will be dispatched to the power grid in Georgetown, consistent with Guyana’s low carbon development strategy.”
Exxon partnering with Rotary, BrainStreet for delivery of online education: OilNOW
The Rotary Club of Stabroek has partnered with oil giant ExxonMobil Guyana and the BrainStreet Group to deliver interactive online education particularly in the Hinterland communities. This project follows a successful first phase implemented in 2020 which saw online courses being developed and delivered for Grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 subject categories to registered users on the BrainCentral platform. These were also broadcast via Facebook Live to widen audience participation and awareness.
Shell inks deal with Chevron to enter Suriname offshore block | Upstream Online
Suriname accepts insurance for oil spills only from parent companies –former Staatsolie Boss: Kaieteur News
While Suriname still has a few years to go before offshore oil production commences, it has outlined a suite of high standards for all oil companies to follow. One such principle applies to insurance for oil spills. The Dutch speaking nation has made it a practice to only accept full coverage insurance from the parent companies operating in its backyard. Confirming as well as elucidating this industry requirement recently was former head of Staatsolie (Suriname’s National Oil Company), Mr. Rudolf Elias.
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