Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 28, 2021 News
Kaieteur News – International Lawyer and staunch advocate for the protection of the environment, Ms. Melinda Janki, sent President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, a letter yesterday urging him to disclose the quantity of free oil used by ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, from the Stabroek Block’s Liza Phase One Project.
In the letter seen by Kaieteur News, Janki noted that under Article 11.9 of the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), it states, “The Contractor shall have the right to use in any Petroleum Operations as much of the production as may reasonably be required by it therefore, and the quantities so used or lost shall be excluded from any calculations of Cost Oil and/or Cost Gas and Profit Oil and/or Profit Gas entitlement.”
Janki said it therefore means Guyana’s share of the oil, when calculated, is not from total oil produced. As such, she asked that the relevant Minister, being Vickram Bharrat, publish the following: The total amount of oil that has been produced in the Liza Phase One Development; a monthly breakdown of the total amount of oil that Esso, Hess and CNOOC have taken under Article 11.9 since 2019; the total amount of Cost Oil; and the total amount of Profit Oil.
The lawyer said these figures should be readily available since Annex C, Section Five of the Petroleum Agreement, entitled ‘Production Statement’ requires the Contractor to submit monthly Production Statements to the Minister showing the gross quantity of crude oil and natural gas produced and the quantities of crude oil and natural gas used for the purpose of carrying on petroleum operations.
Janki further noted that the figures should be available up to last month, i.e. August 2021. “If August is not ready, then up to July would be good enough,” noted the lawyer.
“The people of Guyana are entitled to know how much oil is disappearing under Article 11.9 so that they can make informed decisions about the future of oil in Guyana,” expressed the transparency advocate while adding, “Secrecy is one of the elements of the oil curse and undermines freedom and democracy.”
Similar sentiments were recently echoed by Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram, during an interview with Kaieteur News. Ram was keen to note that he supports the release of key data in the oil and gas sector while noting that Guyana would be at risk of serious consequences which are known to arise when opacity envelopes a nation’s oil industry.
“We must be acutely aware that the segments of the petroleum world characterised by opacity and secrecy are also associated with some of the most egregious cases of corruption and mismanagement. To ignore these possibilities in our developing petroleum sector would be like dancing with the Resource Curse devil,” the lawyer expressed over the weekend.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
Mar 28, 2024
Minister Ramson challenge athletes to better last year’s performance By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – Guyana’s 23-member contingent for the CARIFTA Games in Grenada is set to depart the...B.V. Police Station Kaieteur News – The Beterverwagting Police Station, East Coast Demerara (ECD) will be reconstructed... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – In the face of escalating global environmental challenges, water scarcity and... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]