Alastair Routledge, Esso’s latest country manager, has been reported in the press as saying that ExxonMobil cannot renegotiate the Petroleum Agreement because of ‘sanctity of contract.’ That is not correct. Article 31.2 of the Petroleum Agreement says: “This Agreement shall not be amended or modified in any respect except by written agreement entered into by…
People are now saying VP Jagdeo is a sell-out to ExxonMobil. But I disagree, because the PPP leadership forfeited the interests of the poor people of Guyana to ExxonMobil since 2015. Robert Persaud quietly awarded the Canje/Kaieteur oil blocks to non-entities in 2015 days before his party lost the election, and then ExxonMobil quickly bought…
It has been reported that approval of ExxonMobil’s Payara Development Project seems closer to fruition, as Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat has confirmed that a draft licence is being discussed. Minister Bharrat was previously reported as saying, “Even though the PPP/C government may be desirous of granting the approval for ExxonMobil’s third development project…
A patient with cancer would want an experienced world class oncologist to give the diagnosis and prescribe the treatment. For a life changing event, one wouldn’t fire the oncologist in the middle of their assessment and then seek advice from a replacement with much less qualifications and experience. But it appears the Government of Guyana…
One year after rushing to sign the lopsided Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil, the APNU+AFC administration allowed the company’s Liza Phase One permit to be approved on the same day the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project. Exposing this revelation yesterday was international lawyer, Melinda…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been sued over a decision to issue environmental permits to Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd authorizing offshore drilling for 24 years. The lawsuit filed in the Constitutional and Administrative Division of the High Court was brought by Dr. Troy Thomas, a scientist and the former President of Transparency…
Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo gave a very comprehensive and detailed presentationof the Government’s positions on the new oil and gas industry in an interview with Kaieteur Radio’s Kiana Wilburg. In contrast to the lack of transparency on the oil and gas sectorbythe previous APNU/AFC administration, Jagdeo clearly stated that the Governmentis determined to provide sound and…
I find yesterday’s Stabroek News report that the Guyana EPA will be taking Exxon to court for the failure to pay fines of US$2,600 for 3 small oil spills to be very troubling. People of Guyana, do you believe this nonsense? Things like these are why the Oil and Gas Network (OGGN – www.oggn.org) has…
No one would doubt the contract between Exxon and Guyana is one of domination and subordination, of strong versus weak, of big fish eating little fish. There is only one choice for the Guyana Government and that is to renegotiate the contract before signing the new Payara approval. Unless we do this, we can kiss…
Much has been written in the Guyana media about the need for oil specialists and experts and there are critiques in KN that the person trained in the oil industry is not appointed as the line minister (Energy). Be that as it may, and not to detract from one’s formal training in an industry, one…
