Kaieteur News response to ExxonMobil Guyana

Sep 08, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – It is a matter of some amusement that ExxonMobil, a corporate titan renowned for its global reach and unassailable influence, should now find itself echoing the Guyanese government in accusing this newspaper of spreading misinformation. The peculiar spectacle of a private corporation adopting the rhetorical posture of a nation’s administration is, if nothing else, a scene that deserves our collective pause.

Since 2021, this newspaper has implored, urged, even begged the government to undertake what should be a basic tenet of responsible management of Guyana’s oil resources: independent monitoring of oil production and oil lifts. It is not, as ExxonMobil and the government would have the public believe, a matter of “misinformation” or, heaven forbid, subterfuge on our part.

No, it is the humble exercise of responsible governance that Guyana, an infant in the oil world, must establish its own means of verifying the production data handed to it by seasoned multinationals. This call for independent oversight is essential, lest we content ourselves with relying on the goodwill and honesty of oil conglomerates. Trust, while a virtue, is not a substitute for vigilance.

The government remains unbending in its refusal to heed this call for independent monitoring and verification, opting instead to trust the very oil companies whose interests are not aligned with those of the nation. It is one thing for the government to abdicate its responsibility to ensure independent scrutiny; it is quite another for ExxonMobil to throw its weight behind such dereliction and insinuate that this newspaper’s insistence on checks and balances is somehow an exercise in misleading the public. The only party being misled here, it seems, is the people of Guyana—misled into thinking that the oversight of their national wealth is being handled with care when, in reality, the fox is guarding the henhouse.

Equally perplexing is Exxon’s silence on the use or non-use of oil in its operations. Exxon should clarify its position on this issue. We look forward to Exxon providing the details as to this aspect of its operations.

In this regard, it is therefore with great enthusiasm that we welcome ExxonMobil’s recent offer to provide “any additional information” and answers to pressing questions. Perhaps, in the spirit of transparency, ExxonMobil might begin by enlightening the public as to its “massive” rate of return. We might also benefit from updates on the country’s proven reserves—another glaring omission in the government’s lexicon of accountability—and, for good measure, the sums being held by the company for future decommissioning costs. For if we are to place our faith in the hands of an oil giant, we would at least like to know where those hands have been and where they plan to go.

This, ExxonMobil, is not misinformation. It is an inquiry into the truth, a search for the facts. It is not the role of a free press to act as a megaphone for either government or corporate interests. Our duty is to question, to hold accountable, and to safeguard the public trust. The sooner ExxonMobil and the government recognize that, the better.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The article above responds to ExxonMobil Guyana’s President Alistair Routledge’s letter to the Editor published in Saturday, September 7, 2024 edition of the Kaieteur News.

The letter as published is below:

Exxon’s production vessels have meters and they meet or exceed international industry standards

Dear Editor,

It’s unfortunate this publication continues to spread misinformation about ExxonMobil Guyana’s operations. Its readers deserve better.

Contrary to assertions repeatedly made by the paper this week, Government representatives are present to witness every offshore oil lift – both their own, and those of the Stabroek block consortium. Simply put, none of the consortium members can lift oil without a government witness present. The Government has described how it exercises its rights and duties to closely monitor our operations.

The Government’s oil lifts also aren’t a mystery – they are available for anyone to read on the Ministry of Natural Resources’ website.

Furthermore, despite repeated claims to the contrary, our offshore production vessels have meters, and those meters meet or exceed international industry standards. That data is also monitored by the Government.

Those looking for factual information about Guyana’s oil-and-gas industry would be better served seeking out news outlets that are committed to factual and unbiased reporting.

Sincerely,

Alistair Routledge

President, ExxonMobil Guyana

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• ExxonMobil, global, Guyana, Kaieteur News, misinformation

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