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Govt. to move ahead with second gas project despite not finalising monetization strategy – VP Jagdeo  Jul 16, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that despite not finalising the National Gas Monetization Strategy, the Government of Guyana (GoG) has embarked on a second gas project to check for viability. Vice President (VP), Bharrat Jagdeo “We are still working on it,” Jagdeo said at his last press conference after he was asked if the government has abandoned the heavily criticised gas strategy, in which US$20,000 was paid to former Trinidad & Tobago Energy Minister, Kevin Ramnarine to prepare. “But as you have seen, we have moved forward in the project that we wanted to check the viability for. We have moved forward on that, but the gas strategy is a clear one,” Jagdeo added. Back in January, the Government issued Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking private sector pitches for the design, financing, construction, and operation of gas processing infrastructure. In June, President Irfaan Ali disclosed that United States-based firm Fulcrum LNG proposal was selected. Jagdeo explained that the key element of the gas strategy is to figure how to monetise the associated gas outside of the current gas project.  “We have moved forward on that element,” Jagdeo stated. Presently, the GoG is pursuing a US$2 billion Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project that will be located at Wales, West Bank Demerara. This is the country’s first natural gas project. It entails bringing the gas onshore from the Stabroek Block to feed a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility and generate 300 megawatts from a power plant. ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is responsible for building a 12-inch pipeline that will transport 50 million cubic of gas per day to the Wales location from offshore. Outside of that, the Vice President said, “…We may have another 70 – 80 million cubic or so to come in on that pipeline we have to now make a determination how we would utilise that. It could be for generating additional power, fertilizer, different things.” Jagdeo underscored that normally a gas strategy is about determining not just how to monetise the gas but how to use it for national development. He continued, “But we are working on it, it’s not an abandoned project.”  Moreover, Jagdeo also responded to comments made by leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Nigel Hughes, who stated that using taxpayers’ dollars, especially those financed by oil proceeds, without conducting feasibility studies is “reckless”. Responding to a question about the Government embarking on a second major gas project while the US$2 billion GTE project is still to commence and facing setbacks, Hughes articulated his concerns, stating, “In this country, we have to legislate because we don’t seem to follow international norms. There is no major project that this country should undertake without a feasibility study. It is absolutely irresponsible and reckless and therefore, first project, second project or any project, you cannot come to the people of Guyana, spend their money without a feasibility project. We will not have a repeat of that fiasco, that is the Skeleton Factory.” Hughes reiterated the AFC’s opposition stating that the party will oppose any project without a feasibility study locally and internationally because it is a reckless use of taxpayers’ dollars. Notably, the agreements for the first project are yet to be laid in the National Assembly despite repeated commitments by government. For his part, Jagdeo said, “So we don’t know whether we have a project as yet.”  The Vice President reminded of his previous statement when he clarified that despite the government vigorously pursuing the monetisation of the country’s untapped gas resources through a second major gas project, they currently have no plan to provide financial backing for the initiative. “The Government of Guyana has made it clear that we are not putting any money into this project but we have to explore whether we can develop a viable project now, so that means a feasibility studies everything else to see if we can monetise the gas that we have, the associated gas outside of the gas that is coming to the power plant,” Jagdeo said. He said Fulcrum LNG was hired to look at all streams of benefits from possibly LNG exports or for industrial development. “All of that will have to be explored before you move to say we have a project, it’s viable before you move to get it financed but it’s not financed from the Government of Guyana…” he added. Related Similar Articles

$447M Essequibo Deeds Registry building needs $67M more for fence, concrete compound Jul 16, 2024 News The Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority building at Suddie, Region Two. (Photos, Regional Democratic Council of Region 2 (January 2024) Kaieteur News – With $447 million already spent to construct the four-storey new Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority (DCRA) building at Suddie, Essequibo in Region Two, the Ministry of Legal Affairs would be spending an additional $67 million to execute several external works at the sub-registry office. The new set of projects which went out to tender earlier in the year was awarded this month through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) following the competitive bidding process. According to information provided on the NPTAB website, the $67,726,995 contract was awarded to Jaikam Construction & Supplies Inc. Kaieteur News learnt that the $67 million contract entails the casting of compound and construction of drain, fence, concrete culvert and concrete revetment at the new Essequibo Sub Registry. It was previously reported that in October 2022, the DCRA signed the contact with Jaikam Construction to the tune of $447,862,666, for the construction of a new four-storey building next door to the Supreme Court building at Suddie. The contract duration mentioned at the time was 12 months. Currently, the DCRA’s work is housed at the Supreme Court Building in Suddie. Upon completion, the four-storey building is set to house the operations of the Deeds and Commercial Registries, and living quarters for staff. It was disclosed by the DCRA that the building will be equipped with an elevator, parking facilities and a storage vault for documents. In January 2021, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC had announced that the Deeds and Commercial Registry in the Region Two would soon have its own building. The Deeds and Commercial Registry was established to efficiently and expeditiously administer the laws enacted by Parliament affecting land, whether by way of transport, leases, mortgages or any other alienation thereof. It also deals with laws relating to trademarks, patents and designs, geographical indications, copyrights, trade unions, companies, partnership, business names, powers of attorney, bills of sale contracts, and other deeds. Related Similar Articles

CDB mourns passing of former President Jul 16, 2024 News Kaieteur News – “It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of Sir Neville V. Nicholls, former President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Sir Neville was not only a visionary leader within our Bank but also a formidable force in shaping economic development across the Caribbean region,’ CDB said in a press release. Sir Neville V. Nicholls, former President of the Caribbean Development Bank Sir Neville served as third President of CDB with unparalleled dedication and foresight from 1988 to 2001. A Barbadian national, Attorney-at-Law with a degree in Economics, he joined CDB on March 1, 1971. He progressed through the department to General Counsel, and to Vice President of the Bank in October 1975. In May 1988, he was elected President, the first of three terms until his retirement in 2001. Under his stewardship, the Bank made significant strides in addressing critical development challenges, forging partnerships and programmes that have left a lasting impact on our community’s economic landscapes. His adept leadership was marked by a keen understanding of the intricate balance required to drive sustainable growth while addressing social imperatives. Sir Neville was deeply committed to the mission of reducing poverty and enhancing lives in the Caribbean through proactive and innovative financial solutions. Beyond his professional achievements, Sir Neville was a person of great integrity and compassion. His genuine concern for people was evident in both his policymaking and daily interactions. He inspired many with his unwavering optimism and relentless pursuit of excellence. As we reflect on his remarkable legacy, we extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to know him. Sir Neville’s contributions to the Caribbean Development Bank and the region will be remembered for generations to come. “In honour of Sir Neville Nicholls, we pledge to continue fostering the ideals he championed so fervently. His spirit will forever be a beacon guiding our endeavours towards a brighter, more resilient Caribbean,” said CDB’s Acting President, Isaac Solomon. Related Similar Articles

Capping stack deployment time will reduce with equipment now in country – Jagdeo Jul 16, 2024 News Representatives from ExxonMobil, EPA and GYSBI with the capping stack Kaieteur News – As the debate continues over the time outlined in the Environmental Permits for the deployment of the capping stack- the equipment that is used to plug oil leaks, but Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has made it clear that a well blow out offshore Guyana can now be capped sooner with the equipment now in-country. The VP was asked by this publication at his weekly press conference last Thursday at Freedom House to comment on a letter carried by this publication from Dr. Vincent Adams, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) questioning the government’s tripling of the required capping stack deployment time to cap a well blowout from 3 to 9 days, thus allowing a potential extra six days of oil gushing into the sea. Adams during an Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference last week told the media that while Jagdeo claims to have tightened environmental provisions in the Permits granted to the oil company, its position on the Capping Stack arrival to a blown-out well proves different. “The Vice President keeps going around saying that they tightened the environmental regulations…that capping stack was created by Dr. Bynoe under the Department of Energy and we supported him. We demanded that that capping stack has to get to the site within three days- that’s what’s in the Payara. Do you know what they did? They took that out of the Payara and put nine days into Yellowtail which is the Permit that they wrote,” he argued. It must be noted that the while there is likely to be extreme damage from such an event offshore, there is still no evidence of full liability coverage from the parent company. This means Guyana can be left to foot the costs of cleanup, repairs and compensation if these costs are not covered by the limited US$600 million insurance. Besides the insurance, EEPGL has about US$9 billion in assets which the VP says could be seized to pay for the damages. Dr. Adams also believes that this is merely a band-aid to the wound as these assets are paid for through cost recovery by Guyana. Vice President (VP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo Jagdeo said he doubted that Adams’ claim is accurate. “It was only the last permit that we… not the last one, the one before that…that we issued a requirement to have a capping stack in the country and one is here now… it came into the country so that you can deploy it immediately.” He stressed that it is the immediacy of the deployment, if necessary, that is important and in the past Exxon just had to keep a subscription abroad. “Now we have one in the country. He is ignoring all of that. We have a capping stack in the country. The last time I told you that I had report that it arrived in the country ahead of time and that was a requirement of one of the environmental permits that we gave.” Furthermore, now that the capping stack is already here, the VP is saying that there will be no wait time for it to be imported then deployed. “He (Adams) is squibbling about nine days, three days, two days. You have it now to deploy immediately rather than waiting for it to be imported.” ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) last week commissioned the country’s first capping stack, one of 13 available globally and one of only two in Latin America. A capping stack is a heavy piece of metal equipment that is placed over a blown out well. It acts as a plug, thereby preventing further flow of hydrocarbons. Country Manager, Alistair Routledge during a simple ceremony hosted at the Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI), Houston, East Bank Demerara noted that the arrival of the equipment underscores the scale of Guyana’s blossoming oil and gas sector. Guyana began producing oil in December 2019 at the Liza One Project. The Liza Two development later came on stream in February 2022, followed by the Payara project in November 2023. The country is now producing over 640,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) at three projects in the Stabroek Block. The cost of the capping stack was not revealed, despite questions being posed to EMGL’s President. He explained, “I don’t have that number at hand but it’s a subscription service so what happens is (Oil Spill Response Limited) ORSL operates this, they maintain it, they keep it ready for deployment and then we pay a subscription fee, based on the wells we are drilling.” The capping stack was designed and built by Trendsetter Engineering- a company that has been involved in the design and development of most of the capping stacks available. It is owned by Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), an industry-funded, not-for-profit cooperative that responds to oil spills. As part of its subscription service with OSRL, EMGL will be able to access the capping stack in record time from the GYSBI location. The company will also have access to OSRL’s fleet of capping stacks across the globe. The capping stack, now in country, measures 22 feet, three inches (height) and weighs 93,000 pounds (42 metric tonnes). The Air Freightable Capping Stack (AFCS) has a pressure rating of 15,000 pounds per square inch; a flow rate of zero to 330,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and depth rating of 12,500 feet (3,800 meters). Related Similar Articles

Murder suspect on $250K bail for robbery under arms Jul 16, 2024 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News The defendant, Shaggy Mohammed Kaieteur News – A 22-year-old East Ruimveldt man, who is a suspect in a murder case, was granted bail in the sum of $250,000 for a robbery under arms charge after he appeared in court on Monday. The defendant appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 8 & 9 before Magistrate Marisa Mitterholzer to answer to the charge of robbery under arms. According to the facts presented, on March 25, 2024, at Lot 25 Block ‘M’ Lamaha Springs, Georgetown, Mohammed armed with a handgun, robbed the complainant, Alison Suelock, of $400 USD ($8,000 Guyana currency) and one shoulder bag valued at $10,000, totaling $90,000. The man pleaded not guilty to the robbery under arms charge. According to information disclosed in court, the accused was initially arrested for murder and later, the police, acting on information received, charged him for robbery under arms. The defendant was represented by Attorneys-at-Law, Jermaine Jarvis and Kaisha Williams. Mr. Jarvis made an application for bail to be granted, stating that his client was arrested on Thursday and kept beyond the 72-hour mark, without an order issued for him to be in custody longer. Furthermore, the method of the defendant’s arrest was brought up. According to the counsel, the man was arrested by a police officer who was in a vehicle without a siren or lights to indicate that it was a police vehicle. Detective Corporal Eastman, the policeman that made the arrest, then allegedly shot at the man’s vehicle several times. The prosecutor objected to bail due to the serious nature of the offence and its prevalence, as well as the fact that the man was also arrested in relation to a murder, which made him a flight risk. However, bail was granted by Magistrate Mitterholzer, due to the investigations still being incomplete and the fact that he was arrested for murder but was brought before the court for robbery under arms. He was granted bail in the sum of $250,000, and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 14, 2024 for report. Related Similar Articles

Police, maritime officials continue search for missing duo in Mazaruni River mishap Jul 16, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Guyana Police Force ranks and maritime officials from Division #7 continued their search on Monday for the two men who went missing after a boat accident in the Mazaruni River on Friday, July 5, according to a Guyana Police Force press release. The accident claimed the life of 29-year-old Oswald Hudson Jr., who managed to save two minors before he drowned, while six injured victims were rushed to the Bartica Hospital for evaluation and treatment. He went under the surface of the water shortly after his heroic effort and was not seen again until a search party found his body floating at 17:30hrs the next day. The only victims of the tragedy who are still unaccounted for are Cranston Davidson, 43, and Troy Joseph, 35. The pair went to collect their wages from their place of employment, EKAA HRIM Earth Resources Management Quarry on Batavia Island and was returning home, according to a relative, when tragedy struck. Cranston Davidson (left) and Troy Joseph (right) Monday marked 10 days since the men had been missing and search efforts from relatives, as well as police and maritime officials have been to no avail at this point. In an interview with this publication on Monday, Commander of Regional Police Division #7, Senior Superintendent Dion Moore, informed that no bodies had been found, but that information was received that could possibly help the search along. “We received some information that someone saw something. We are acting upon it, if it proves that it’s a body, then we will retrieve the body; but every bit of information we receive or every indication, we will act upon it to ensure that these men are found and the proper action is going to be taken,” Moore said. In a statement posted on Facebook last Tuesday, Vivian Licorish, the foster father of Cranston Davidson and the father-in-law of Troy Joseph, said the relatives of the missing men had been conducting a search party for them every day and night. He also expressed that they not only were unable to find their relatives, they also did not receive any assistance from the police or maritime officials. “This incident happened about 10:30, 11 o’ clock Friday night, today is the fourth day. [We were] in the river looking Saturday, Saturday night, Sunday, Sunday night, Monday, Monday night, and this morning, they gone back looking again, with no help from any police or whoever, no official, none whatsoever,” Licorish explained. “Up to now, no sign [of life], no anything, no officials ain’t coming and ask or giving no help or whatever, nobody!” he said. The relative of the victims continued, “The police and the maritime have to do their work, they have to do what they supposed to do because we need justice.” When asked about this, Commander Moore said that he was not aware of the video, but was positive that a police-led search party met the relatives of Davidson and Joseph while they were conducting their own search. Moore said, “I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to but I do know that the afternoon of last Wednesday, police met them—they had about three or four teams who were searching and the police met with them in the river whilst they were searching and the police were searching along with the River Navigation Officer, Mr. Melville.” Deighton Melville, Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) River Navigation Officer expressed that a mechanical issue with the boat meant that the officials were unable to participate in the search for some time. “We were present with the police there, but the engine foot that we had was down. We had to wait, fix it, and then we come but other than that, all the time, we’re in and out,” he said. He continued, “The police in the river steady, and sometimes, I be with them. Sometimes, we go all that side, we go down the river by Karrau, we go Cow Island, come up back. Where the thing happened is… Itaballi side by John Island, this side we deh, right now we’re drifting in the river, we still looking.” It is important to note that the police and maritime officials did recover the body of Hudson Jr. the day after the incident. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that we retrieve the bodies once they are afloat, and we are in contact with the other entities to see what support we can get as well. However, we can only find them if they’re up on the surface. We will not give up until we find the bodies,” said Commander Moore. Related Similar Articles

Jagdeo to be grilled in Parliament over safety of ramped up oil production by ExxonMobil Jul 16, 2024 News Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo Kaieteur News – Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is expected to take the spotlight during the next Sitting of the National Assembly to face questions submitted by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), David Patterson on the safety of the ramped-up production activities in the Stabroek Block by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL). The company has been granted approval by the government to push oil production beyond the safe operating limits outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for each of the three projects currently producing oil. In his question to the Vice President, Patterson pointed out the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the safe operating limit at 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) at the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel and 220,000 bpd at the Liza Unity and Prosperity FPSOs. He however noted that Exxon announced that the Liza Destiny was producing 160,000 bpd, Liza Unity, 250,000 bpd and Prosperity 230,000 bpd as of February 2024. He said the company has stated “that production increases never occur without strict reviews, risk assessments, and that all of those are being reviewed by the Government and the EPA”. Consequently, the MP asked, “Can the Honourable Vice-President provide the National Assembly with copies of documents submitted by ExxonMobil detailing the technical and environmental assessments undertaken to justify the increased production above the previously approved Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit limits?” On the same subject, Patterson has asked the VP to provide the National Assembly with copies of the revised permits issued by the EPA that approves the increased daily production. Opposition MP, David Patterson Patterson in a brief telephone interview with this publication on Monday explained that Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir initially did not approve his questions “saying that the information belongs to Exxon and we cannot be asking any questions of a private company.” The former Minister of Public Infrastructure said after he insisted on the importance of the matter being addressed publicly, Nadir conceded and instructed him to direct the questions to Jagdeo. In a correspondence seen by this newspaper the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs informed Patterson, “Based on research conducted, it was found that questions relating to the Environmental Protection Agency fall under the purview of His Excellency the President. The Hon. Vice President supports the President in specific areas, including Natural Resources and the Environment. In view of this, the Hon. Speaker has directed that the questions be returned to you for resubmission to the Vice President.” Patterson’s questions have been placed on the Order Paper for August 2, 2024. Related Similar Articles