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Govt. will not allow Exxon to run amok at public meeting Jul 24, 2024 News Vice President (VP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo …Jagdeo instructs oil minister to send representatives; while  PNCR dismisses its importance Kaieteur News – Amid growing concerns over the management of the oil industry here, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo said that his government will not allow oil giant to run amok at the public consultations it kick-started on its seventh oil project-Hammerhead on Monday. He promised to instruct Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat to ensure the government is well represented, warning against the oil company misleading Guyanese among other things. However, in stark contrast despite acknowledging the importance of the US trillion-dollar oil industry and how the resources if managed properly can transform the lives of citizens, no opposition official showed up at the first two public consultations and the main opposition party, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) dismissed the importance of the forum, which it said it will not be attending. Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat Observers view their absence of the opposition’s representatives as an insult to Guyanese who expect their leaders to represent them at all levels especially on a matter as crucial as the oil sector.  Exxon, the operator of the oil-rich Stabroek Block informed last week that the public scoping meetings are geared towards providing information to the public on the project. The meetings commenced on Monday with two engagements with residents of Region Three at the Leonora Technical Institute, West Coast Demerara and then at Umana Yana in Georgetown.  Following criticisms from its last round of public scoping sessions, Exxon increased the number of meetings to be held in Region Four. Three meetings are scheduled for the country’s most populated region – one at the Umana Yana, Georgetown, another at the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara and another at the New Diamond/Grove Primary School, East Bank Demerara. A total of 10 meetings will be held during the 10-day consultation period. Notably, the oil company is also set to engage the hinterland region, with two meetings scheduled for Region One. Hammerhead is expected to add 120,000 to 180,000 barrels of oil per day production capacity. The Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel will be capable of storing approximately 1.4 to 2 million barrels of oil. Third-party oil tankers will be scheduled to offload the oil from the FPSO, making the oil available for export to the international market. Public Relations Director of the PNC Sherwood Lowe Hammerhead is located in the south-central portion of the Stabroek Block, approximately 160 km from Georgetown. Current plans include drilling via drill ships to produce oil using approximately 14 to 30 production and injection wells. Production is expected to begin in 2029 subject to the necessary regulatory approvals and operate for at least 20 years.  To date, Exxon has obtained approval from the Government of Guyana for six development projects in the Stabroek Block – Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two, Payara, Yellowtail, Uaru and Whiptail. The first three projects are already producing oil at a daily estimated rate of 640,000 barrels per day (bpd). Speaking to Kaieteur News on Tuesday, Jagdeo was asked about the absence of government officials at the first two meetings. He enquired: “where will these meetings be held?” We should have people there. We can’t allow these people (ExxonMobil) to run amok. I don’t know what they are going to say, they telling people all kinds of stupidness…that they…you know like some of the billboards that we had issues with.”  The VP then informed this publication that he is going to “talk to Vickram Bharrat to make sure that we are represented at every one of them.” The Minister of Natural Resources was also contacted for a comment on the absence of his Ministry’s presence and he said “Technical staff will attend.” PNCR dismisses importance of forum Meanwhile, asked about their absence at the public meetings Sherwood Lowe, PNCR Communications Chief and Central Executive member said: “Let me say this, we find these scoping meetings and public consultations mere formalities. We have seen no evidence where Exxon nor the government, has taken any considerations, any concerns of the public in redesigning or modifying any design aspect of these projects, and therefore as far as we are concerned, these public consultations (and) scoping are a mere sham.” Lowe is of the belief that, “Decisions have been made already by Exxon, by the government and as I said, we see no evidence of a willingness to adjust to the concerns of residents. There are bigger issues, concerns and challenges with the projects other than asking questions.” Saying that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not have any clout he questioned, “What is this all about? What are these public consultations all about?  Are they for optics? Are they to create and illusion? Are they to create the illusion that people matter?” Furthermore, he made it clear that his party is “not going to take part in that. We are skeptical of the process and we have seen no evidence (that) these consultations lead to any significant change. So that is in a nutshell where we stand.” AFC to attend small meetings For his part, David Patterson, AFC’s Chairman and spokesperson on oil and gas in an invited comment said: “we normally…I normally attend the very smaller ones because the big public ones at the Umana Yana everyone attends. I have always attended them but I think there is one in a really…I cannot remember which one I had earmarked where there will be very few people so you can have the floor to yourself.” “That is what we normally do, because when we go to Umana Yana everyone wants to speak. The last time instead of going to the Umana Yana, I went to South Ruimveldt and it was very few people there but I was able to ask all my questions. So I don’t go to the (big) ones I go to get my answers. So I will be at one of them I can’t remember the one I marked. It is not on my desk at the moment but I will be at one of them. I will let you know which one I will be at.” Chairman of the Alliance For Change and spokesperson on oil and gas, David Patterson In a letter to the editor which appeared in this newspaper on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the writer Radeish David said Guyana is the big show of the plundering of its oil, gold and other resource wealth. “The plunderers along with their local enablers are doing their very best to distract Guyanese from watching this plundering show. Just like foreign exploiters under the disguise of “foreign investors” from all over the globe lining up for a piece of Guyana, sports and music entertainers from all over the globe also want to come to entertain Guyanese with their shows.” David said Guyanese will talk about cricket and music but not about Exxon’s inflated bills, ring-fencing oil projects, or getting more royalties, profit share, and taxes from future oil projects along with full parent company guarantee liability insurance for oil spills if they occur. No plan to educate citizens Previously, Toshao of the Warapoka Village, Jaremy Boyal raised concerns over the manner in which Indigenous communities are engaged on oil and gas activities. He said there has been a heavy focus on money and benefits of the sector, rather than educating the communities on the potential dangers they are exposed to as a result of the offshore activities. At a number of public consultations held in the past by ExxonMobil, the Toshao said he enquired about the Shell Beach protected area; however, his question has not been addressed.  Oil spill modeling shows that this area can be affected by an oil spill; however, the Toshao said, “That has not been on the agenda…many times, sometimes we would try to have what would be the effect, how are we playing a role if there is gonna be one, but again that is not something that we as villages are aware of.” According to him, “We just hear one side of the story that there is so much production, that there is so much millions that we can earn in the next five, 10, 15, 20 years and the rate of development plus we are one of the fastest growing economies in the world.” Even on the coast, Exxon has faced criticisms for failing to address critical issues on its operations. During public consultations on the sixth project – Whiptail- in February last year, several questions asked were left unanswered. 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Exxon says US$2B guarantee can compensate Guyana, Trinidad and Venezuela in event of oil spill Jul 24, 2024 News Kaieteur News – ExxonMobil Guyana’s Projects Environmental and Regulatory Manager, Maria Skocik has assured that should there be an oil spill Guyana, Trinidad and Venezuela can be adequately compensated from the US$2B oil spill guarantee. Skocik was asked to speak on the economic impacts a potential oil spill will have on Guyana and the Caribbean region, and whether the insurance in place will fully cover Guyana, as well as compensate the other countries affected. “First and foremost, we are committed to safe operations, both personnel safety and environment, so as Becky was mentioning, we are doing everything possible to ensure that no incidents happen. In the off chance they do occur, we have technical and financial capacity to be able to respond to those incidents,” the Exxon official said. She explained that there are measures in place like insurances and there will be mechanisms activated to facilitate cleanup. “So there are things like insurances in place, there will be mechanisms for cleanup and for grievances and for business to submit claims. But again that being said in the way we design projects and the way we operate them is we do everything possible to prevent incidents from happening,” she stated. To get clarity, this publication asked, “So you are saying if an incident occurs, Guyana will get full coverage and also the affected countries like Trinidad or Venezuela?” In response Skocik said, “Yes, it absolutely does. So again, in an off chance an incident does happen, there will be a process for complete mitigation and mitigation of the area so there will be efforts to clean everything up and also support financially for parties that are impacted.” The oil company often touts its capacity to take care of an oil spill in the event such a disaster occurs in the 26,800 square kilometers Stabroek Block. The company, whenever faced with questions about the cost of an oil spill, previously assured that it will not walk away from the country but will handle associated cleanup and compensation. However, the assurances provided have been cast aside with the US$2B oil spill Guarantee and Indemnity Agreement superseding all oral statements and prior writings. In fact, the agreement, entered into by the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kemraj Parsram, explicitly outlines US$2B as the maximum amount to be provided by the Stabroek Block partners collectively. According to the document, “This Guarantee and Indemnity Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes all oral statements and prior writings with respect thereto; provided that for certainty, it is acknowledged by the Beneficiary and the Guarantor that this Guarantee and Indemnity Agreement is not intended to and does not amend any term or provision of the Petroleum Agreement.” Before the Government of Guyana (GoG) touches a penny from the US$2B oil spill guarantee provided by ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC, the country will first be required to write each of the three guarantors informing of the company’s failure to meet its legal financial obligations. The Guarantee and Indemnity Agreement lodged by the Stabroek Block partners on June 9, 2023 makes it explicit, “In order for the Beneficiary (GoG) to exercise its rights under this Guarantee and Indemnity Agreement, the Beneficiary must provide to the Guarantor at the Guarantor’s address stated in Section 4.4, written notice, signed by an authorized representative of Beneficiary (the “Notice”), of EEPGL’s Default of the Environmental Obligation…” The notice to the guarantor must detail the environmental obligation(s) that is (are) purported to have been defaulted on, including the legal basis giving rise to the environmental obligation (s) in question; how Exxon failed to satisfy the applicable Environmental Obligation(s) and the unpaid amount for which the company is liable for. Additionally, the government under the agreement must also notify the guarantor that the oil companies have been advised of its intent to draw the guarantee. At a number of its scoping meetings for new oil projects, the company also faced questions from the public on the safety of its operations and the economic impact of such an event. Related Similar Articles

US Secret Service boss resigns over Trump shooting failures Jul 24, 2024 News US Secret Service director Kim Cheatle (BBC NEWS) – US Secret Service director Kim Cheatle has resigned from her position as head of the agency following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Ms Cheatle testified for nearly six hours during a contentious House committee hearing on Monday. Lawmakers became increasingly frustrated when she refused to answer questions about the shooting at Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania earlier this month. “As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” she said in her resignation letter on Tuesday.  Both Democrats and Republicans had called for her to step down. In the letter to staff, Ms Cheatle said she has always “put the needs of the agency first” and it is “with a heavy heart” that she made her decision. “The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases,” she said. “I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission.” President Joe Biden said in a statement that he’s grateful for her decades of public service. “The independent review to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13 continues, and I look forward to assessing its conclusions. We all know what happened that day can never happen again,” he said. Mr Biden said he will appoint a new director soon. The president appointed Ms Cheatle to head the Secret Service in 2022. She had previously served 27 years at the agency in various roles. The shooting at the 13 July rally left one audience member dead and two others wounded. A bullet grazed the former president’s ear. “The Biden/Harris Administration did not properly protect me, and I was forced to take a bullet for Democracy,” Trump posted on his social media platform in response to the news of her resignation. Lawmakers questioned Ms Cheatle about security preparations ahead of Trump’s campaign rally during the tense House Oversight Committee hearing on Monday. Ms Cheatle took responsibility for the security lapses, but pushed back on calls to resign.  She called the shooting “the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades”. Witnesses reported seeing a suspicious man – suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks – with a rifle on a rooftop at the rally minutes before shots were fired. Crooks was killed by a counter sniper shortly after. Ms Cheatle didn’t offer lawmakers any new information on how Crooks was able to access the roof where he was perched and why Trump was allowed to take the stage. After the hearing, the leading Republican and Democrat from the committee – James Comer and Jamie Raskin – sent a letter to Ms Cheatle that laid out their belief that she should step down. Mr Comer said Ms Cheatle “instilled no confidence” during the hearing that she can fulfill the Secret Service’s protective mission. “The Oversight Committee’s hearing resulted in Director Cheatle’s resignation and there will be more accountability to come,” he said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called her resignation “overdue” and said he is “glad she did the right thing”.  “Now we have to pick up the pieces, we have to rebuild the American people’s faith and trust in the Secret Service,” he told reporters on Tuesday. Related Similar Articles

Vessel drifts into Demerara Harbour Bridge with sleeping crew Jul 24, 2024 News The MV Princess Anisa Kaieteur News – The MV Princess Anisa, a vessel owned by INS Shipping, located at Good Intent, West Bank Demerara (WBD), drifted into the Demerara Harbour Bridge on Tuesday while the crew was asleep, resulting in major damages to the anchorage systems at spans 41-42 of the Bridge. The cost to repair the damages stands at $5.5M, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill disclosed. According to the captain and crew, the vessel, which was loaded with rice, had dropped anchor at 12:00 am at Versailles and the crew had gone to rest. General Manager, Wayne Watson told Kaieteur News that the vessel drifted into the bridge at approximately 04:00hrs, while preparations were being made for retraction. He said that staff of the Harbour Bridge observed the vessel drifting towards the bridge. Meanwhile, in a statement, the Public Works Minister said that he was informed that the collision resulted in major damages to the anchorage system at spans 41-42 of the bridge, including damage to anchor chains, wire ropes, chords bolts, and minor abrasions to pontoons 41.2 and 42.1. Despite the collision, there was no halt to vehicular traffic transiting the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Further, Minister Edghill disclosed that the owner of the vessel will be held accountable and is expected to provide compensation for all damages incurred as a result of the vessel drifting into the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Works to remedy the situation commenced immediately and are estimated to be completed within two days. Related Similar Articles

Stepfather to be charged for allegedly burning 1-year-old Jul 24, 2024 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News Kaieteur News – A man is expected to be charged today for allegedly burning and badly beating his one-year-old stepson. The suspect reportedly resides in East La Penitence, Georgetown and is said to be living with the child’s 18-year-old mother. Police disclosed that the man was arrested on Monday and is expected to appear at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court today. According to reports, the man allegedly burned the child and beat him with a mop stick in addition to other forms of physical abuse. Videos have been circulating on the media of the abuse meted out to the child. One showed the child’s mother being forced to cut the baby’s’ hair and in another, the suspect was seen roughly poking the child’s neck with a mop stick and blood coming from his mouth. A third video showed severe burns about the child’s lower body. Meanwhile, in March, the child was reportedly admitted to the hospital where he underwent surgery for the burns. He remains a patient at a city hospital. Kaieteur News understands that the child’s mother and stepfather have been in a relationship for about 10 months and she is currently pregnant. The man reportedly also repeatedly abused the child’s mother. Sources from the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) reported that they are active on the case. Activist and former Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes visited the East Ruimveldt location on Tuesday. In an invited comment, she told Kaieteur News that the mother and the 1-year-old child were living under deplorable conditions. The teen has since been removed from the location. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Pic saved: house Caption: The house where the child was abused Photo saved as Baby Caption: The 1-year-old baby boy nursing burns at a city hospital. Tags: . Lede: A man is expected to be charged today for allegedly burning and badly beating his one-year-old stepson. Key focus: Stepfather to be charged for allegedly burning 1-year-old Related Similar Articles