Latest update February 7th, 2025 8:58 AM
Jun 06, 2023 News
An artist’s impression of the proposed project at Friendship, East Bank Demerara (Source: DSB Project Summary)
Kaieteur News – Diamond Property Management (DBM) through its subsidiary Diamond Shorebase Inc. (DSB) has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a Permit to construct a dock facility at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, to provide covered berthing and a heavy marine loading depot for platform supply vessels that service the oil and gas industry.
According to the Project Summary, the Friendship Port development will be located approximately nine miles south of Georgetown and 15 miles north of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
The private development is pegged at US$25 million, with construction expected to be completed in 16 months.
In its application to the EPA, the developer noted that due to the nature of its operations, an oil spill can occur at the facility but will be adequately managed.
According to DSB, “Hydrocarbon spills from areas with secondary containment are not very probable due to the passive mitigation measures that these system present. Smaller hose spills can be common but also mitigated with more active measures such as emergency shut downs and mobile drip pans.”
In the meantime, it was also explained that the facility will be handling hazardous waste too. “The operation of this facility may produce waste in a few of ways; general domestic waste, hazardous waste stored in offloaded vessel containers, hazardous waste produced within drilling fluid facility containment areas,” the document outlined. It said that while general domestic waste such as plastic bags, paper wraps, wood, food waste products, etcetera will be placed in dumpsters and taken to the Guyana Landfill, “any hazardous waste taken on from supply vessels or originated within drilling fluid batching areas will in all cases be disposed of in recorded transfer to third party processing facilities such as SES.”
This newspaper understands that the docking facility will be constructed on a plot of 5.72 acres of land. It will feature three covered berthing areas for supply vessels, a heavy lifting dock area, a loading and offloading depot, office building and two security buildings.
The Friendship Port Development will mainly serve as a loading and offloading depot with services provided to marine vessels operating off of the coast of Guyana. Additionally, products such as fuel, drilling fluid, and water may be available to vessels within the covered ship berthing area. The Project Summary explains that other activities such as loading and unloading of objects such as; drill pipe, skid units, downhole tools, service equipment, etc. associated with drilling and production rigs will be conducted. Additionally, the project will provide “lift on / lift off operations using overhead or mobile cranes; roll on / roll off operations using ramps and forklift equipment; drilling fluid batching and supply from on-base facility via piping system to vessels; storage and supply of bulk products such as barite, bentonite, or cement to vessels via pneumatic conveyance; provision of diesel fuel for vessels and provision of non-potable water to vessels.
During the construction phase, DSB will be conducting dredging and pile driving activities in the Demerara River. “Dredging activities will be required in marine dock areas along the east bank of the Demerara River in order to achieve required berth depths for the Platform Supply Vessels,” the document explains, while adding that, “pile driving activities will be performed from both land and barge mounted cranes. Hydraulic hammers will drive pre-cast concrete piles to required depths and in arrangements determined by engineering design. All pile driving will be logged and recorded as it is performed by a third-party testing agency.”
The EPA in its Screening Decision uploaded to its website on June 4, 2023 said that the project will likely have low to medium significant environmental impacts that would occur due to the project’s size and characteristics. “However, these impacts are expected to be mostly short-term, and localized. The overall risk is minor once mitigation measures are implemented as mentioned. The proposed project is said to bring socio-economic benefits to the Friendship community,” the regulator added.
The agency is satisfied that all waste generated will be managed by sorting in respectable containers, collected by a third-party contractor and ultimately disposed of at the Haags Bosch Landfill. It said all Hazardous Waste such as dredging materials will be disposed of in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (2000).
The regulator did not address the likely impact of an oil spill but said in its Screening Decision that effects on water quality will be negligible, short-term, and localized. It added that periodic water quality monitoring of discharge points would be done during both the construction and operational phases. These mitigation measures will result in the project impacts not exceeding the Water Quality Regulations 2000 and GNBS water quality Standards.
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