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Civil Society Group writes T&T PM about oil spill dangers from Guyana ahead of Energy Conference
from Kaieteur News
by GxMedia
- draws attention to Guyana Govt. allowing oil companies to breach full liability requirement
Members of a civil society group have written to Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister (PM), Dr Keith Rowley,puttinghimonguard about the potential oil spill dangers of Guyana's offshore projects.
The letter which was signed by Alfred Bhulai, Andre Brandli, Janette Bulkan,DarshanandKhusial, Mike Persaud, and Charles Sugrim—all of whom are members of the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN) was issued on February 8, 2023 to the PM's office.
The OGGN members were keen to note that they are concerned citizens of Guyanaandinhabitantsofthe Caribbean.Theystressedthat Guyana's oil reserves, totalling some 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources in the Stabroek Block, underpin grave oil spill concerns for Caribbean citizens.
What is also troubling for them is that ExxonMobil
Corporation, through its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), currently plans to drill 158 wells in six oil fields by 2030 in the southeast corner of the Stabroektractalone.
They also referenced commentary from Robert Beawhoisregardedasoneof the world's foremost forensic engineers and a leading expert on the 2010 BP Macondo oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Bae, they said, worries that Exxon's operations appear to lack the appropriate preparation or planning to head off a deepwater blowout and majoroilspill.“Iamfarfrom comfortable,” Bea, Codirector of the Marine T e c h n o l o g y a n d Management Group Center forRiskMitigation,hadsaid.
OGGN members also reminded that the infamous Macondo oil spill which occurred in the Gulf of Mexicoandkilled11persons is estimated to have cost
US$145 billion. In spite of the ugly mark this incident, along with many others have left on the industry, they expressed alarm that Guyanese authorities are still pussyfooting on securing full liability coverage for a major oilspillfromExxon.
They noted that the environmental permits for the Stabroek tract require Exxon's acceptance of full liability coverage. However, Exxon's Guyana subsidiary (EEPGL) is not complying with same.They said too that theGovernmentofGuyanais allowing this illegality, thereby putting Caribbean countriesatrisk.
“Prime Minister, we enclose the map prepared by ERM, the consultancy firm thathasconductedallbutone of Exxon's Environmental Impact Assessments to date in Guyana. That map shows that the northwesterly currents of the Guyana territorial sea would push even a small oil spill to the easterncoastsofTrinidadand
Tobago.Evenasmalloilspill would bespoil the Caribbean Sea and threaten the livelihoods of fishers and the tourism industry, not to mention the harms to marine life and ecosystems,” the OGGNmemberswrote.
They added, “We draw to your attention the limited capacity in the Guyanese regulatory bodies to exercise oversight of the offshore oil industry, which imperils the entireCaribbean.”
They also informed the CARICOM leader that the accompanying breakneck pace of 4D seismic surveys andthevelocityofthecurrent and projected oil drilling and pumping are greater than any other exploration and/or extraction that have occurred hitherto globally for offshore oil extraction They also raised an alarm that Exxon intends to continue seismic survey throughout the expected20-yearslifespanof theoilfields.
In light of the foregoing and other critical points, they urged PM Rowley urge the governments of the Caribbean to evaluate the scale, intensity and risks posed to the entire Caribbean by the ongoing high velocity oil exploration and production in Guyana's waters. “We hope you will assess the deeply inequitable a n d n e o - c o l o n i a l arrangements between the government of Guyana and petroleum companies, in which the public wealth of
Guyana is privatized and negative environmental harmstobothGuyanaandthe Caribbean are socialized,” thememberswrote. The group which advocates for environmental protection and financial norms also expressed hope that the PM would shed light on their concerns during his planned address to the International Energy Conference & Expo in GuyanaonFebruary14.
