Opinion
Renegotiations, referendums and reality – response to Ram & McRae’s Survey
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 142 Introduction The response to Ram & McRae’s recent survey on the 2016 Petroleum Agreement was revealing, particularly Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s immediate dismissal of its findings and his attempt to shut down any discussion of a referendum. His reaction betrays a troubling…
Dominic Gaskin has joined with the consortium against Guyana
Reference is made to my letter published in Kaieteur News on October 22, 2024 and captioned ‘Measuring oil profits in Liza One’. In response, Mr. Dominic Gaskin in his letter published in Stabroek News on Oct. 23, 2024 disagreed with some of the points I made in my letter, as identified above. Permit me, Editor,…
Is Exxon implying that its engineering skills permits its deep-water oil extraction at speeds in excess of the safe working limits?
OGGN – Oil and Gas Governance Network (www.oggn.org/about) – does not agree with the letter ‘Exxon disappointed with KN headline’ in KN, October 22, 2024. Vice President Phil Rietema of EMGL wrote ‘… our ability to optimize all aspects of our Guyana operations to drive greater efficiencies and ensure we continue to deliver projects on time and…
DPI did not issue a correction of the erroneous mention of 18,000 Guyanese on oil rigs
On Friday, October 18th, Professor Janette Bulkan published a letter in the Stabroek News titled, `These wild presidential and DPI exaggerations, minus verifiable sources, ought to seriously be fact-checked by Stabroek News’. In the letter, the professor questioned how there could be 18,000 Guyanese working on the offshore oil rigs, as stated by President Irfaan…
Survey shows overwhelming support for renegotiation of Petroleum Agreement
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 141 – October 19, 2024 Introduction The results of a recent survey on the 2016 Petroleum Agreement with ExxonMobil and partners reveal overwhelming public support for renegotiation, with serious concerns about key provisions of the Agreement. The survey, conducted by Ram & McRae…
The inequitable results that are currently observed in Guyana’s oil business is a function of the cost methodology imposed in the PSA
With your permission, permit me to explain how total revenue, total cost, and profits are identified in the Guyana oil business, and in particular Liza One. In this regard, knowing the selling price (P) and the average total cost (ATC) of a barrel of oil signals the first decision point of any investment. The average…
These wild presidential and DPI exaggerations, minus verifiable sources, ought to seriously be fact-checked by Stabroek News
Does His Excellency the President Mohamed Irfaan Ali live in an alternative universe? ‘We now have 18,000 Guyanese working on the offshore oil rig.’ See the DPI notice from October 14, 2024; https://dpi.gov.gy/local-content-raked-in-over-us2-billion-in-businesses-to-date-president-ali/ . There are 3 functioning FPSOs, each with a working crew of 150-160 according to the EIAs, of whom fewer than half will be…
Exxon and Partners – Relinquishment Time
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 140 President Irfaan Ali enjoys his encounters with international journalists, including BBC’s Steve Sackur and more recently New York Times’ International Climate Correspondent, Somini Sengupta. While the President has ably navigated the questions posed to him, he has benefitted from some important questions…
Managing both bird and bush and other natural resources
Recently, Ambassador Samuel Hinds reminded Guyanese of the notion that ‘A bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush’. I contend that this statement is only true when one does not have ownership of both the bird and the bush; and therefore, one has to manage both bird and bush and other…
This comment is highly disturbing and warrants a withdrawal from Ambassador Hinds
I refer to a letter captioned, ‘Let’s feel good about what we are getting from our oil’ written by His Excellency Samuel Hinds, Ambassador, Former Prime Minister, and Former Acting Preisident of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. In that letter, it is stated… ‘If we have troubles absorbing the US $4.4 billion according to some…