Opinion
Time for Guyana to consider hedging as oil prices recover
December 20th marked the one-year anniversary of oil being lifted from Guyana’s ocean floor. Who has benefitted the most from our oil? Is it the people of Guyana or the oil companies? Certainly, there doesn’t appear to be any significant oil benefits to the more than 30 percent of Guyanese living on US$2 a day….
How much taxes would have been collected from the oil companies if the Stabroek contract required the oil companies to pay taxes
Guyanese businesses are paying 40 percent taxes on operating profits for commercial activities. In contrast, the oil companies enjoy a tax-free ride on their oil profits. For the oil production lifecycle, from the preparation for oil production to when the oil is finally sold, the oil companies pay no taxes. The oil companies have business…
Which of Guyana’s laws may have been violated by the Stabroek Block Contract
The 2016 Stabroek Block oil contract between the oil companies and the Government of Guyana violates many of Guyana’s laws compared to the original 1999 contract, according to local legal experts. The Government seems content to ignore our own national laws. None of the violations in this oil contract have been challenged in court as…
Guyana’s people must align now with global movement to avert climate catastrophe
President Biden will host a Leaders Summit on Climate on 22nd and 23rd April. The summit will deal with urgent action to tackle climate change plus the economic benefits of doing so. Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda and Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica are among the 40 leaders selected to attend….
Solar energy far cheaper than gas to shore project, PPP/C not paying attention
Former Presidents Jagdeo and Ramotar are not paying attention. Solar energy is far cheaper than the US$400-800M gas to shore project. I have already made this public without refutation. Last year the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) asked me for a conversation in August 2020 after I again publicly advised the PPP/C government to give up…
It’s a “no brainer” – Guyana can renegotiate all oil deals
Our national hero VP said the gas-to-shore project is so obviously right (in his unilateral opinion) that it’s a “no brainer.” How could the rest of us dumb people not see it? No studies, no planning, no consultations needed. Our PPP is like the Mighty Sparrow. If Sparrow says so, is so. In my view,…
Int’l lawyer challenges VP Jagdeo to show evidence that gas-to-shore project will work
The Irfaan Ali led administration is steadfast in its plan to land a multibillion dollar pipeline at Wales, West Bank Demerara, for the proposed gas-to-shore project despite the widespread criticism it has faced from industry experts.Many share the same concern that Government is moving too fast and should pump their breaks, at least until a…
Guyana should get solid financial assurance from Exxon to protect against oil disasters – Int’l lawyer
It is high time for Guyana to secure “solid financial assurance” from Stabroek Block operators ExxonMobil, CNOOC/NEXEN and Hess to ensure that it is protected should an oil disaster occur on our shores, says international lawyer, Melinda Janki.And with ExxonMobil’s looming financial troubles, she said “sooner is better than later.”“We know that ExxonMobil is in…
World Bank, Chatham House reps had called publishing oil contracts a bad idea – Former Presidential Advisor
Kaieteur News – Former Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal, said that representatives from Chatham House and the World Bank told him it was a bad idea to publish the contracts Guyana signed with international oil companies (IOCs) for the rights to operate their respective blocks. The comment is included in a public LinkedIn…
Ram adds voice to calls for transparency of oil records
Kaieteur News – Kaieteur News, along with other transparency advocates, has been calling for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government to release records on oil reports dating back to the beginning of oil production.Notably, those records would assist in the conduct of independent studies on the oil revenue and what Guyana is set to…