admin

Exxon oil contract a legalized form of highway banditry – Glenn Lall tells Financial Times Jun 26, 2024 News Publisher of Kaieteur News, Dr. Glenn Lall being interviewed by Energy Editor of the Financial Times, Jamie Smyth …Routledge dismisses Publisher as political aspirant Kaieteur News – “The oil agreement we have is a legalized form of highway banditry.” This avid description of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) was made by Publisher of Kaieteur News, Mr. Glenn Lall during an interview with one of the largest media outlets in the United States, the Financial Times. In an article released on Tuesday, the Financial Times reported that Lall has criticized both the government and Opposition for mismanaging the relationship with the oil companies and argued that the Guyanese are getting “chicken feed”. Lall also noted that Exxon, the oil industry and the government are increasingly acting in concert to stymie criticism, including by hiring several Kaieteur News journalists. President, ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge Meanwhile, President of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair Routledge told the Financial Times that Lall’s activism was hinged on his political aspirations. According to the Financial Times, Routledge dismissed Lall as a constant critic with political ambitions and “an axe to grind”, adding that “this is a competitive contract that is bringing investment into the country.” The Publisher in response to the comments made by Routledge argued that as a citizen of Guyana, he is entitled to not only speak in defence of his country, but pursue any career he desires. “I find Routledge’s statement about me very rude and disrespectful. As a citizen of this country, I am entitled to pursue any career or say and do anything I so choose to do. Whether I want to enter politics or not, it’s my prerogative,” Lall asserted. He believes that ExxonMobil is threatened that the lopsided oil deal will be subjected to a complete overhaul, while other acts of mismanagement will not be tolerated under his stewardship. Lall added, “But let me say this, had he and his company given this country a fair deal, he would have been happy to talk to the Financial Times about what Guyana is receiving rather than push his mouth in the domestic affairs of who is aspiring to be political leaders. Mr. Routledge and his company know that if there is any change in this country, that wholesale thievery going on will come to a full stop the next day.” Further, Lall questioned whether any decent and patriotic leader would sit quietly and allow the sector to be mismanaged. “Any patriotic leader would allow Exxon to pump oil without their own meters? Any true leader would allow those projects to be approved without ring-fencing? Would allow them to invest without capping the interest rates? Would continue giving them projects without demanding taxes? Would any government allow a project to be approved without full protection from an oil spill? No decent leader of any nation on earth would sit down and allow the exploitation of its people in this manner,” the newspaper Publisher reasoned. Notably, the Financial Times report also captured remarks from President Irfaan Ali who acknowledged that the deal is “skewed in favour” of Exxon. Be that as it may, the President was adamant that renegotiation of the contract can have legal ramifications that can prove fatal to the burgeoning petroleum industry in Guyana. “The size of Exxon, in terms of the economy, tells you that you just couldn’t change the contract…it would have legal implications and the entire sector would have been held up,” Ali told the foreign news entity. Additionally, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton told the Financial Times, “We need to get more out of these oil resources…within the first 100 days, we will pursue and engage with Exxon to ensure the people of Guyana benefit.” ExxonMobil is the operator of Guyana’s oil rich Stabroek Block where over 11 billion barrels of oil have been discovered since 2015. Exxon and its partners, Hess and CNOOC pays no taxes to Guyana and enjoys an early recovery of investments through the provisions of the deal. The contract allows for 75% of monthly revenues to be deducted for costs, while the remaining 25% is shared with Guyana as profits. The country receives an additional 2% royalty on all petroleum produced and sold. Citizens have been protesting for a more favourable oil deal, especially in light of the vast developments in the Stabroek Block. It should be noted that when the deal was signed, Exxon had discovered a mere 3 billion barrels of oil. The country’s reserves have however grown to more than 11 billion barrels, which experts argue, justify changes to the arrangement. Related Similar Articles

Show us the production forecast for Liza One and Liza Two – Civil Society Activist Jun 26, 2024 News Diagram showing the two FPSOs to be used in the GTE project and the additional infrastructure to generate electricity. …as concerns swell over feasibility of Gas-to-Energy project Kaieteur News – As concerns continue to balloon over the feasibility of government’s US$2B Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project, civil society activist Elizabeth Hughes is requesting information on the production forecast of the two projects that will supply gas to the power plant. Civil Society Activist, Elizabeth Hughes The GTE project comprises three elements, the pipeline to transport the gas – presently being constructed by ExxonMobil – a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility to treat the gas and a power plant to generate some 300 megawatts of electricity is being pursued by the government. Hughes in a letter addressed to the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and GTE Taskforce, last week requested the production forecast of the projects, as these are expected to supply the power plant with gas over its 20-year lifetime. The activist’s letter to the respective agencies comes amidst ramped up oil production at both projects by ExxonMobil. This has therefore sparked further questions about the feasibility of the project, since depleted oil wells will force the operator to turn to other projects for gas to supply the power plant. Notably, the Liza One project which commenced production activities in 2019 was designed to produce up to 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) while Liza Two was designed to produce 220,000 bpd. Both have an estimated life of 20 years. Presently, the two projects are each producing 150,000 bpd and 250,000 bpd, respectively. This could force ExxonMobil to turn to its other oil producing developments to meet the gas demand for the power plant which would inevitably drive up the cost of the GTE project. Government in April 2023 applied to the US EXIM Bank for a loan to support the NGL and power plant aspects of the GTE project. Since the government did not conduct a feasibility study, the bank conducted its own assessment of the project and is said to be in the process of reviewing its findings before a final decision is made regarding the US$646M loan application. Hughes in her letter requested that the production profile forecasts; reservoir performance evaluation and prediction; decommissioning plan and risk management be shared for the Liza One and Liza Two projects. The activist further requested these details for the Payara, Yellowtail, Uaru and Whiptail projects, since gas from these fields could be used to meet the required capacity for the project of about 120 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd). With the GTE project poised for startup next year, she also requested that the gas sales agreement and other commercial documents for the project be made public. Hughes was keen to note, “This information is a necessity for submissions in the aforementioned EXIM Bank system before the closing date in or about 12 July 2024. This relevant data forms an integral part of the assessment of the Gas-to-Energy project’s viability over its proposed 25-year life. Failure to provide the requested information before the deadline date may be construed as a direct action by GoG to deny civil and/or civic society’s right to information thereby stymieing their resistance to the implementation of the GTE project where to date, there has been no public disclosure of any feasibility study.” Related Similar Articles

Section of La Parfait Harmonie flooded for two months Jun 26, 2024 News Geeta Persaud’s flooded yard …residents blame clogged drains Kaieteur News – Residents from a section of Onderneeming, La Parfaite Harmonie have complained that their community has been inundated for two months due to clogged drains. One resident, Geeta Persaud said she tried clearing the drain in front of her home to ease the flooding but it continues to be flooded, as are her neighbours. Persaud is calling on the relevant authorities to visit the community and make an assessment of what the problem is and have it fixed soonest. The woman said the water is stagnant and stink. Persaud said that only the houses on her side of the street are affected. “Them neighbours opposite we, them ain’t affected”, Persaud told Kaieteur News. The frustrated woman pleaded for help on Facebook where she posted a video of the stagnant water. “I am under this water for two months now and it is really bothering me, it is really unhealthy for me. We need help; we really need help; this is what I have to live with”. In a subsequent telephone interview with this newspaper, Persaud said that the water is infested with tadpoles, has “green moss”. She is also afraid that the stagnant water could also be a breathing ground for mosquitoes. “If it keep rising more and more and if it seeps into the septic now, it’s going to be worse and even worse,” the woman told Kaieteur News. She said that she lives with her children and grandchildren and because of fear that the “dirty water” could get them sick, she has chosen to keep them indoors at all times. “We does have to jacky them out when is time for school,” the woman added while making a public plea for some assistance to get the community drains unclogged so that they can return to their normal way of life. Related Similar Articles

Bandits loot several vehicles at ‘Clash of the Titans’ show Jun 26, 2024 News Missing mirrors from one of the cars that was broken into. Kaieteur News – Bandits on Saturday looted several vehicles belonging to patrons who attended the ‘Clash of the Titans’ chutney concert held at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) marring their experience at the annual event. The patrons were advised to park their vehicles in the vicinity of Greenfield Park, Providence, EBD. Thousands of persons attended the concert and though many secured vehicle passes that allowed them to park inside the Providence Stadium, when they arrived, they were told that the designated parking area was filled. A group of friends was among the unlucky patrons who could not gain entry despite having parking passes. One victim, who requested anonymity, told Kaieteur News that she and her friends were directed to leave their car in Greenfield Park and were given all assurance by police directing the traffic and enforcing the security measures at the event that there will be regular patrols. At around 23:00hrs that night, the woman recalled that she needed to change her shoes and sent to get another pair from the car when it was discovered that someone broke into the vehicle and stole a number of valuables. The woman said her Samsung S23 ultra phone and other important documents including her driver’s licence were removed from the car. An alarm was raised and other patrons whose cars were parked in the same area came scampering to check their vehicles. Some of them suffered a similar fate. Kaieteur News understands that some mirrors were stolen. The woman told this publication that, “They gone away with another man’s documents”. Another patron became irate with the police officers on duty after he learnt that the thieves had broken into his car because it was the police who directed him to park there. “And then when I confronted him (a police officer) about it, he then turned and said ‘if that’s his problem” and threatened to arrest me for disorderly behaviour,” another victim recounted. Kaieteur News understands that while some persons reported the break-ins to police, others did not. However, hours later on Sunday morning, the female patron’s drivers’ licence was found on Broad Street, Georgetown in front of the Lotus Hardware Store. The patron was told that it was found among some containers in front of the hardware store by a passerby at around 01:30hrs on Sunday. Related Similar Articles

Ten Puisne Judges appointed   Jun 26, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Ten Puisne judges will today be sworn in by President Irfaan Ali, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) announced on Monday. The new judges are Commissioners of Title to the Land Court, Priscilla Chandra-Hanif and Nicola Pierre, Former Deputy Solicitor General Deborah Kumar-Chetty, former Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Attorney, Hessaun Sharifa-Yasin, Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus and Magistrates Peter Hugh and Zamilla Ally-Seepaul,  Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Court, Jaqueline Josiah-Graham; Deputy Commissioner of the GRA, Attorney Joy Persaud-Singh and Attorney and Company Secretary of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Nigel Niles are the other appointees. According to the JSC, Pierre was called to the bar in Trinidad in 1998 and served in wide spectrum of civil law and litigation, legislative drafting before she appointed to the bench as a land court judge in 2014. She also served as Secretary to the Bar Association and is former Chairman of the Deeds and Commercial Registry Department. Chandra-Hanif served as a junior advocate in Trinidad in the civil courts, before serving as an attorney for the Ministry of Human Services and Social Services.  She was employed there for eight years before her appointment as a land court judge. Kumar-Chetty has practised law for over 23 years. After 17 years in private practice, she transitioned to the public service thereby being appointed to the post of Deputy Solicitor General of the Attorney General Chambers. Yasin is an attorney since 1998, with experiences working at the Attorney General Chambers and later the GRA as its first lawyer. She was instrumental in creating a legal division for the GRA in 2010 and later became Head of the Department contributing significantly to the GRA’s legal framework. Acting Chief Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus’s legal career began in Trinidad where she served as an associate attorney before returning Guyana in 2006 where she served in the Director of Public Prosecutions Office before she joined the Magistracy in 2007. Magistrate Hugh’s bio indicated that he worked with several distinguished legal firms at the start of his career before establishing his own private practice. According to the JSC, Hugh showed a great commitment to the justice system and legal education which led him to serve in the summary court. Mrs. Ally-Seepaul was admitted to the bar in 2008 and practised in the DPP’s Chambers as Senior State Counsel before she was appointed as a Magistrate in 2012. Justice Josiah-Graham is a former legal officer of the GRA, Legal assistant to the Chancellor of the Judiciary in Guyana and Former Registrar of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) before she was appointed to serve as a Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Court. Additionally, Persaud-Singh is a most recent Deputy Commissioner at the GRA with experiences practising in Guyana and Canada. Niles is an attorney with 23 years’ experience, seven of which he served in private practice. He joined the GWI in 2008 and was later appointed Executive Director of Corporate Services and Company Secretary. He has held those portfolios for 16 years until his recent appointment. The new judges will serve either in Essequibo, Demerara or Berbice and will serve in the civil and/or criminal jurisdictions as assigned. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, in a statement, noted that 37 people applied for the post and 10 were appointed by the JSC, the body responsible for the appointment of judges. Last October, the JSC announced that it would advertise to fill vacancies for judges within the High Court and Appeal Court. In its advertisements published in the online and print media, the JSC invited attorneys with at least seven years of experience practising law in Guyana or within the Commonwealth jurisdiction. Additionally, any person who has been a judge of a court of unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters was also invited to apply to fill the position of judge. Related Similar Articles

Parents robbed after collecting ‘Because We Care’ cash grant Jun 26, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is investigating several incidents across the city where parents were robbed of their “Because We Care” cash grants. Distribution of the $45,000 cash grant per child began on Monday and while most parents were able to put their cash grant to good use, others were unlucky as bandits grabbed theirs. Kaieteur News received several reports that parents were robbed on the Stabroek Bus park. The bandits reportedly pounced on them and snatched their bags containing the envelopes. Kaieteur News attempted to contact some of the victims but up to press time, all efforts were futile. Additionally, Kaieteur News understands that a number of parents were also reportedly robbed in Sophia, by motorcycle bandits. This newspaper was told that at least four parents were robbed in that community.  Reports are that the police have since made contact with all the victims and are actively searching for the culprits. It is believed that the bandits were following the parents and waited until the most opportune time to pounce on the parents. Related Similar Articles

Chinese firm gets US$9M contract to build national control centre to manage power plant Jun 26, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Power China International Group Limited out of Beijing, China has been awarded a $1,827,929,605 (US$9M) contract to construct the Guyana National Control Centre (GNCC). Kaieteur News understands that the construction of the GNCC is a project being executed by the Office of the Prime Minister, and it aimed at managing the affairs of the gas-fired power plant. The award of contract was made public by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) which revealed on its website that the $1.8 billion contract was awarded on June 21, 2024. It was reported that the Office of the Prime Minister last year issued a tender seeking bid for the ‘Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Services for the Construction of a Building for the Guyana National Control Centre’ and Power China International Group Limited was among four bidders for the contract. The tender document had stated that the control centre will support the integration and dispatch of the new 300 MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) Power Plant and allow the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to supervise, manage and control the new and upgraded power system. The Office of the Prime Minister explained that the scope of works includes all EPC activities necessary to complete the building and install all systems as specified in the employer requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, the contractor’s overall responsibility for designing, procuring, constructing, commissioning, defects notifications period, and maintaining the building to meet the specified performance and functional standards. The RFP also explained that, “The scope of work also includes the supply and installation of a complete diesel-fire generator set, with duty to operate continuously. The capacity of the generator set shall be ISO rated at 125% of the design load capacity of the GNCC Building. Additionally, the scope of work includes an appropriately dimensioned building to house the generator unit and ISO fuel tank capacity to allow for an autonomy of 24 hours.” The EPC contractor will be required to complete all civil works relative to the installation of the transformers, as directed by GPL. This publication had reported that back in April 2022 that GPL’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the time, Bharat Dindyal revealed plans to establish a national control centre at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), where the present isolated systems located in Essequibo and Linden would be integrated into the new national grid. New power plant Kaieteur News had reported that the 300-megawatt (MW) CCGT power plant is a component of the highly touted Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project. It includes a 12-inch pipeline, being funded by ExxonMobil, to transport natural gas from the Liza One and Liza Two fields in the Stabroek Block, to the Wales Development Site. There, the gas will be processed by a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility which will separate and treat its components to supply other products for resale, such as cooking gas. A portion of the treated gas will be utilized to generate some 300 MW of electricity to supply power to the national grid. The NGL facility and power plant are expected to be financed through a loan from the United States (`US) Export Import (EXIM) Bank. Government has said the application is still pending approval. Notably, the pipeline component is expected to cost US$1 billion, while the contract for construction of the gas plants were awarded to CH4-Lindsayca, to the tune of US$759M. Related Similar Articles