Opinion
The truth about the Royalty in the Esso/Hess/CNOOC-Nexen Petroleum Agreement
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Part 76 – September 6, 2019 Introduction For some time, questions have been raised about the royalty provisions in the 2016 Agreement under which Trotman/Greenidge/Granger partially signed away the birthright of all Guyanese past, present and future. This short column seeks to identify both…
Chapter #7 – Exxon Contract: A major oversight or wilful blindness? – The procurement act 2003
In our last article, we dealt with the miscalculation of the licence area in the contract with Exxon. Prior to that we discussed some history which suggests that the claim that Venezuelan belligerence was the justification for the resort to illegality in the invention of wholesaling of license blocks when no such concept was available,…
ExxonMobil’s Road Show
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Part 75 – August 30, 2019 Introduction Two weeks ago in Toronto Canada, the organisation Caribbean Council of the Americas (CCA) in a public advertisement invited the Guyanese community and “other interested parties in the greater Toronto area to learn about all and gas…
A summary of my thoughts on the oil contract
There have been several lofty predictions of gross revenues that the Guyana government is likely to receive. For example, Rystad Energy recently announced that the government will earn over US$100 billion in oil revenues from the Stabroek block alone. However, it is important to note that the gross oil revenue the government is expected to…
Treating Oil lightly
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Part 74 – August 23, 2019 Introduction A couple of weeks ago Column 73 examined a statement by Dr. Mark Bynoe about the uplift of oil every eight to ten days and of his plans to independently market Guyana’s share of petroleum which we…
Mr Trotman and Mr Jordan should call a press conference to explain the Exxon contract
Under Melinda Janki’s letter (SN: 18/08/19), I asked several questions: What royalties are we getting on one million barrels of oil? Is it 250 barrels or 2,000 barrels? Is the royalty assessed on barrels sold? If only 1,000 barrels are sold, does this mean royalty would be assessed and paid on only 1,000 barrels? Mr…
Our leaders embrace 2% garbage royalty that sinks Guyana’s prospects for vibrant economic development.
The passage of time has seen our oil discoveries exceed six billion barrels. Our commentators, with great zest and zeal, protested the unconscionable contract’s plunder and robbery of our oil resources by ExxonMobil and their minions, with a 2% contract that has now withered down to appeals for Local Content, Ring Fencing, Tax Stabilisation Removals,…
Mr Jordan and Mr Trotman need to provide answers on oil deal with Exxon
In discussing Guyana’s nightmare oil deal last week, Winston Jordan predicted that Guyana will get “two hundred and something million” US dollars in 2020. He referred yet again to a “2% royalty.” As we all know, the APNU+AFC coalition sometimes has a problem with simple arithmetic and went all the way to the Caribbean Court…
Is Guyana headed to a future where citizens cannot protest freely and the press is stifled?
The city parking meters galvanised the people of Georgetown. Irrespective of race or political party, they came out to protest against the implementation of the meters. The major newspapers in Guyana covered the protests, giving nationwide visibility to the issue. The pressure was sufficient to get the meters removed. The debacle turned the passion in…
The World’s Newest Petrostate Isn’t Ready for a Tsunami of Cash
The Caribbean beats of reggae and soca ease into American hip-hop at a roadside bar in Georgetown, Guyana. Outside, teenagers hoot as they whiz past palm trees on mopeds. But for Gavin Singh, a 36-year-old investment banker, this is no time for play or relaxation. “People out there don’t really get it,” he says, pushing…