VP Jagdeo not keen on releasing Exxon's cost recovery statements or forecast of expenses - Fears Kaieteur News will nitpick, misrepresent data

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo told media operatives on Friday that he isnotkeenonhavingthecost recovery statements for ExxonMobil and partners released.Hefearsitwouldbe misrepresented by Kaieteur News.

Bethatasitmay,thechief policymakerforGuyana'soil industry firmly asserted that such information is proprietary His comment was in response to a query from Kaieteur News regarding the government's interest in releasing Exxon's statements on how much money the oil giant recovers inagivenyearfromGuyana's oil to cover its investments.

KaieteurNewsalsosoughtto understandifthegovernment was inclined to release quarterly reports it receives from Exxon on how much it intends to spend on exploration, production and developmentworks.

The Vice President said, “A lot of this is proprietary but in this environment and with an organization like Kaieteur News, I would never want to release that because they will nitpick, theywilltakeonewordoutof it and create a story and lie about it.”The official also said there are some standard practices in the hydrocarbon industrywhilenotingthatthe release of such statements is not one of them. He said, “In no country in the world, you would not find intermediate reports being released to the edia.You show me a country that is doing this where oil operationsareconcernedand wewilldoit.”

Even if the newspaper is tofindacountrywherethisis done, Jagdeo expressed further reservations, stating thatsuchacountrywouldnot have a media house like Kaieteur News. The Vice President also criticized the newspaper's reportage as he said it has never shown the qualitative difference between the environmental permits published by the APNU+AFC regime versus thePPP/CGovernment.

The Vice President was keen to acknowledge that there is a role for media in holding government and oil companies accountable on critical issues as there are instances of lapses. He said howeverthatthereappearsto be a campaign against the government by Kaieteur News. The official said he is oftheviewthatthereleaseof information on spending by Exxon would not be for analytical purposes but for a smearcampaign.

Though he holds that position, he said, “Let's see, we are open to exploring it and seeing what more could

bedone.”

According to the 2016

P r o d u c t i o n S h a r i n g Agreement (PSA) signed for the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobilandpartnersare required to furnish the Guyana Government with various documents on their expected expenditure for a given year They are also requiredtoprovidedetailson h o w m u c h o f t h e i r investment has been cleared offusingGuyana'soil.

Annex C of the contract which outlines in detail the accounting procedures Exxon must comply with states that the Contractor shall prepare an annual budget pursuant to Article 7 of the Agreement that will distinguish between E x p l o r a t i o n C o s t s , Development Costs, and Operating Costs The statement must also show a forecast of expenditures and receiptsundertheAgreement for the calendar year as well as cumulative expenditures and receipts to the end of the said calendar year.Several industry stakeholders have called for the foregoing to be in the open to deepen the public debate on how the nation's oil resources have been and would continue to

From page 18 around 220,000 to 275,000 responsibility for the however, that India may be barrelsperday environmental impacts of its able explore. According to While the document was projects. Jagdeo, “Next year, a According to MangalExxonMobil will have to signature, the EPA accepted Joly, “The Environmental give up 20% of their it as is, without demanding Protection Agency failed to holdings.So,allofthosewill the company adhere to the uphold a basic level of beavailableforsomeformof best practises to ensure it t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d bilateral engagement, where takes responsibility This is accountability in the first we can actually see joint especiallyimportantsincean place when it allowed production or exploration- EIA not only identifies ExxonMobil to lodge EIAs relatedactivities.” potential dangers and risks in public locations and when

In an interview with the associatedwithaproject,but the agency itself posted a Indian press on Friday, the also outlines measures that version of the EIA on its VP said Guyana is ready to will be taken to mitigate website without signatures sign the MoU to boost these impacts among others. or any guarantees of cooperationinthepetroleum

Itwasexplainedthatwithout ownershipbyExxonMobil.” sector and is awaiting the a signature from the Asaresultofthemissing approval from India’s company, the operator can signatures, she pointed out Cabinet.The former Head of denyresponsibility that there is nothing State said, “We don’t want T o t h i s e n d , demonstrating in writing India’s involvement only in environmentalist Simone legal ownership of the defining our gas policy, but Mangal-Joly has called out document available She also from an investment the EPAfor failing to ensure explained, “My concern is perspective to develop those the necessary steps are taken that the Environmental resources.” tosafeguardthepublic.Inan Protection Agency is now

It was reported that invited comment, she told aiding and abetting the Guyana is looking to recruit Opposition party Alliance nascent oil and gas sector matterareongoing. Kaieteur News: “by company with this conduct skilledworkersfromIndiato For Change (AFC) has From the giving away of oil exhibiting an EIA to the bynotrectifyingtheproblem help develop the local gas signalled its support for the blocks to the signing of a Thursday – Mar 2, 2023 p u b l i c w i t h o u t even though it has received sector President Irfaan Ali move by government to lopsided contract with acknowledging ownership complaints about the along with a high-level team engage in bilateral ExxonMobil, citizens do not Environmentalist accuses ExxonMobil is not taking situation. It is saying to the wereinIndiaforaseven-day agreementsforitsoilblocks. feel they will ever benefit EPAof aiding and responsibility for the public that you don’t matter trip recently and entered into Thedealsbrokeredhowever, fullyfromtheresources.One abetting Exxon in information contained in the These very elementary severalnewagreementswith accordingtothepartyleader, significant area that has breaking Guyana’s laws document Submitting a principlesofgovernancethat the Indian state for Khemraj Ramjattan must be come under scrutiny is the formal EIA to the public, are about accountability, collaboration in other made public. According to awarding of oil blocks – ExxonMobil Guyana on without affixing the transparency or even the sectors, inclusive of him,“thereshouldnotbeany something which industry Wednesday wrapped up its company’s signature or a decency and respect and manufacturing and power secrecy about it, it should experts said should have final public consultation title page to acknowledge professional practise of generation among others. It be open and that is my been put on a public auction s e s s i o n o n t h e ownership is a serious submitting a document with is the VP however, who positionatthispoint.” in the first place. It took the Environmental Impact breach of transparency and a sense of ownership of that manages the petroleum He was keen to note that country more than seven Assessment (EIA) it a c c o u n t a b i l i t y, i t document; even that is sector that will be handling the Opposition will be years after it discovered oil, s u b m i t t e d t o t h e undermines the rule of law something that you the thosearrangements. looking forward, at the very to move towards its first Environmental Protection and democratic governance public of Guyana do not President Ali had met least, for the details auction. Agency (EPA) for its fifth inGuyana.” deserve and that is very with India’s Minister of regardingsucharrangements offshore development in the She said this clearly troubling.” Petroleum and Natural Gas to be shared in the National Eccles resident StabroekBlock,Uaru. demonstrates a lack of Mangal-Joly had alerted and Housing and Urban Assembly caught red-handed The process was respect for the country’s theExecutiveDirectorofthe Affairs, Shri Hardeep S Puri For several years, this trying to sell house lot h o w e v e r m a r r e d i n leaders, a lack of respect for EPA, Kemraj Parsram in a in Delhi, India, where the newspaper has been at the controversy, as stakeholders the citizens and it raises letter dated February 18, leaders discussed “direct forefront of calls for there to Thirty-year-old Andre believe the document was doubts about ExxonMobil’s 2023 that the EIAit received G o v e r n m e n t - t o - be a thorough, independent Defreitas, a resident of Lot inconclusive,sinceitwasnot willingness to be transparent fromExxonwasnotcertified Government cooperation investigation into the award 159 Cow Pen Street, Eccles, signed by the oil company and accountable in its and urged that the ongoing across the oil and gas of two blocks – Kaieteur and East Bank Demerara (EBD), that is seeking to develop actions in assuming 60-days review period be spectrum, including Canje – since several was on Tuesday arrested restarted as result of the increased long-term offtake, industry stakeholders who afterhe was caughtin a sting missingsignature. participation in exploration examined the matter, operation collecting money She did not receive a and production activities in concluded that they were under the pretext that he was responsetoherconcernbuta G u y a n a , t e c h n i c a l awarded under suspicious able to secure a house lot for mere acknowledgement to c o o p e r a t i o n i n t h e circumstances. The Canje someone. heremail. midstream and downstream Block for instance was Defreitas, who collected The environmentalist sectors and capacity awarded by the Donald $100,000 in marked money, said, “We have had over two building, as well as the Ramotar administration on was arrested on Regent years of very serious issues synergies which exist March 4, 2015, days before Street for obtaining money with the Environmental between the two countries,” that year’s General and by false pretense. The man Protection Agency with its a release from the Head of RegionalElections,toalocal alleged that he has a contact conduct, with its leadership State detailed. It was also company, Mid-Atlantic Oil at the Ministry of Housing and I think that where we’re noted that the two countries and Gas Similarly, the that could assist him in at is we have now a long have agreed to set up KaieteurBlockwasawarded gettingahouselot. body of evidence that shows technical teams to advance on April 28, 2015, just two K a i e t e u r N e w s a lack of commitment to these discussions. Reuters weeks before the elections, understandsthatthe30-year- basic principles of rule of reported thatAli when asked and like the Canje Block, it old man claimed to be the law and democratic ifGuyanawouldofferblocks wasdonebasedontheadvice owner of a company called governance.” to Indian companies through of former Minister of ‘PrimeInvestments’. direct negotiations said, Natural Resources, Robert Following his arrest, 2 months after C-section, “Apart from the auction, we Persaud. Defreitas was taken to the doctor finds pack of gauze are discussing Government- S u c c e s s i v e Brickdam Police Station in woman’s uterus to-Government partnership Governments of Guyana whereheisbeingquestioned in a number of areas have come under heavy by law enforcement criticisms for their authorities. countingherluckystarsafter

A young mother is includingexploration.”

In the meantime, managementofthecountry’s Investigations into the (Continued on page 68)

From page 67 understand how they could Sam Croft, Noble Don aboveUS$420,000perday– It was reported that the is provided to victims of a belated discovery by a leavealargepackofgauzein Taylor and Noble Bob thecompanydidnotmention businessman is accused of traffickinginpersons. doctor saved her life. me.” The woman said that Douglas to work in Guyana if the four 6G and 7G drill trafficking two Venezuelan “The restitution is a Sussana Philmattie, 25 of s h e w a s r e f e r r e d untilNovember2025. ships are the ones deployed mentoworkonhisfarm. significant step in the right CollinsEssequiboCoasttold immediately to the However, it should be for Exxon’s Guyana According to a release direction and I believe it will this publication that she was Georgetown Public Hospital noted that market-based day operations. issued by the Ministry of definitely let the person left in pain for two months where an emergency rates are reset twice per year

Commenting on Noble’s Human Services, the affected understand that after giving birth via a operation was performed on (March 1, and September 1 outlook, the company’s Ministry has been closely justice is served and I am Caesarean‘C’Section,atthe hertoremovethegauze. each year) to the projected Chief Executive Officer following this case since pleased to know justice was Suddie Regional Hospital in market rate at that time. On (CEO), Robert Eifler stated, 2018. Representatives of the servedinthiscase.” Essequibo. Friday – March 3, 2023 Wednesday, this publication “We continue to see a very Ministry have appeared at According to the media

The woman later contacted ExxonMobil promising fundamental every hearing and supported release, Head of the Unit, discovered that the pain and Guyana paying Guyana to ascertain the setup for the offshore the survivors. The convicted Tanisha Williams-Corbin swelling in her stomach area over $320M daily to exact rate the company is drilling business, governed businessman brought the said that “We at the Counterthat remained after the rent four drill ships paying Noble for the four by increasingly tight victims from another Trafficking in Persons Unit procedure was due to a large in Stabroek Block drill ships and how many industry utilisation, robust country and forced them to are quite committed to our packofgauzethatwasleftin days will each drill ships be customer economics and work on what is called a cause, we are committed to her uterus by the operating American drilling working each year Up to demand growth visibility ‘localzoo.’ advocating and ensuring team at the Suddie Hospital. c o m p a n y , N o b l e press time, no response was and, not least, rational The conditions in which victims of human trafficking

She noted that the situation Corporation is being paid receivedfromtheoilmajor capital allocation in our the survivors were forced to getthenecessaryjusticethey could have led to her demise over $80M (US$400,000)

The rig market has been industry As the market work can only be described deserve. We are satisfied the if the gauze had formed a daily for each of its four drill experiencing a revival after improves, we remain as inhumane and subjected perpetrator was brought to septic infection. “I am just ships that is being utilised in yearsofdoldrumsandNoble focused on execution across to sub-standard living justice and also elated that happy to be alive today the Stabroek Block, by is eyeing a big payday as it allfacetsofourbusiness,and conditions, the Ministry the survivor will be because based on what I ExxonMobilGuyana. expects an increase in the are committed to returning shared. compensated.” know I could have died,” the Owing to the 2016 demand for ultra-deepwater capitaltoshareholders.”

Minister of Human

In conclusion, the womansaid. Ministry reiterates and

Philmattie went into the encourages persons to report hospital to deliver her baby all suspicious activities to on December 12, 2022. She the hotline on 227-4083 or said that she started going 623-5030 For Spanish into labour but there were speaking persons, contact some issues “I wasn’t canbemadeto624-0079. getting dilated enough; I went up to 4cm. The doctor

Saturday – Mar 4, 2024 tried to induce labour but nothing was happening so

Govt. hoping US$2B they decided that I needed a natural gas project does C-Section The operation not explode- Jagdeo was quick and when I came ...says “other” revenue to myself, they said streams will be used to everything was okay, the service US$106M annual baby only needed to go on payment on loans antibiotic treatment for a couple days,” the woman

A question from this said. newspaper on how Guyana

Philmattie said she went would manage to repay home but continued to US$106millionannuallyfor experiencepainandswelling the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) in the left side of her project over the next 20 stomach. She returned to the years, should an unfortunate hospitalandtoldthemedical incident- such as an staff there about her explosion-renderthefacility discomfort and they inoperable, no doubt caught recommended an antibiotic Vice President (VP) Bharrat treatmentforherbutthepain Jagdeobysurprise. persisted. The new mother Not only was he Production Sharing rigs of between 12 and 15

Wildlifetradergets

ServicesandSocialSecurity, returned to the hospital in unprepared for this line of Agreement (PSA) Guyana unitsaroundtheglobewithin three years for Dr Vindhya Persaud said, January and decided and get questioning, but he also signed onto with Exxon – all the next 18 months, trafficking Venezuelans “The Ministry of Human an ultrasound from a private becameveryapprehensivein of the company’s expense especially in places like Services and Social clinic nearby the hospital, it hisresponse. will be recovered. Under the BrazilandGuyana. Wildlife Trader, Feezal Security’s Counterdid not yield any plausible

The VPyesterday hosted deal, Exxon receives profits Noble’s operating Shaw who was found guilty Trafficking in Persons Unit results. his first press conference after75percentiswithdrawn highlights and backlog last month of trafficking in has been actively working to “Bu onal revealed that the company persons, was on Wednesday ensure persons who engage remained swollen and in 2023 to offer an update into expenses. In Noble’s latest marketed fleet of 16 drilling sentenced to three years in Trafficking in Persons pain,” the woman said. She hisrecenttriptoIndia. results review, the company rigs was 91 percent during imprisonmentforthecrime. face the full force of the law t h e n t r a v e l l e d t o Jagdeo was however disclosed that their day rate the fourth quarter of 2022. Shaw, of Soesdyke and today we are satisfied Georgetown to see another asked by this newspaper to per rig is low-to-mid This included seven ultra- PublicRoadappearedbefore that there is not only a doctor at Woodlands enlighten the nation as to US$400,000,whichis$80M deepwater rigs added Magistrate Faith McGusty convictionbutrestitutionhas Hospital Philmattie howthegasprojectwouldbe GuyanaDollarsormore.For following the merger that and was also ordered to pay been awarded to the victim recalled: “The doctors there repaid for should there be an every day that the four drill ended with Maersk Drilling. $2,127,000 in restitution to toseeTheMinistryisserious said that there was incident when he responded, ships work, Guyana will It was stated that Tier 1 drill the survivor This restitution when it comes to human something in there…so I “can we get out of this have to foot the bill of ships area commanding request was presented by a trafficking.” went to my doctor who did morbidity, is Kaieteur News $320M. increased day rates, around senior officer attached to the She added that her another ultrasound. My a morbid? Imagine we must This is as a result of US$400,000, and that the Ministry of Human Services ministry has also been doing doctor became very upset not build the power plant contract that Exxon awarded companysecuredsinceearly and Social Security’s a lot of countrywide and because he said that this is because we might have an to Noble during the fourth- November 2022, 24 months Counter-Trafficking in specialized sensitization to not the first time this is explosion there. This is in quarter of 2022, for an of additional work for four Persons Unit as the Unit heighten awareness and happening, it is actually the effect what y since the commencement of t encourage reporting of cases third patient that he knows saying...whichgovernment ultra-deepwater drill ships seventhgeneration(7G)drill survivors of this egregious oftraffickinginpersons.The about. He said he could not (Continued on page 69) Noble Tom Madden, Noble ships at an average rate act. ministersaidtoothatsupport additional 7.4 rig years for sixth generation (6G) and

From page 68 on trial before Justice Priya longer be pursuing them. As charges that alleged that on starts off by… anywhere in Beharry-Sewnarine at the such, Justice Beharry- four separate occasions the world… by saying that Demerara Sexual Offences Sewnarine instructed the between February 2011 and ohwearenotgoingtopursue Court. He was represented jury to return a verdict of not May 2011, he engaged in a development or we are by attorneys-at-law Nigel guiltyfortheremainingthree sexual activity with a child gonnamakemitigatingplans Hughes, Jerome Khan, charges. undertheageof16. to pay back a facility if we

SophiaFindlay. were faced with a hung jury that their client in an earlier

Savannah Barnwell, and In February 2022, jurors The lawyers also shared haveanexplosion?”

He continued, “Nobody According to a press on three counts of rape of civilsuitsecuredanawardof builds a facility on the basis release by Jackson’s minorcharges,andnotguilty damages in the sum of $5M of that. Nobody builds a lawyers, on Friday, the on a fourth charge. As a for defamation of character facility on the basis of future virtual complainant testified resultofthehungjuryforthe against Ruel Johnson who explosion.” but following her testimony, three charges, Justice had accused Jackson of

The Vice President then she informed the court that Beharry-Sewnarine ordered preying on the virtual went into detail to she was withdrawing the aretrialforJackson. complainant while she was a regurgitatethebenefitsofthe allegations and will no Jackson had denied the student. project, insisting that once operational, some 300 megawatts of electricity will be available to the national grid.

Not only that but he explained the cost of power will also be reduced by 50 percent. In addition, the VP would be repaid through rethink the whole project. It reminded that Guyana will anothersource. is certainly not beyond our beabletoexportcookinggas

As such, he contended, ingenuity to find a solution, and other liquids that will be “You can’t build these with the help of carefully available from the Natural things, it’s a morbid, you’ve selected international Gas Liquids (NGL) facility runoutofthingsonthegasto experts.” tobeconstructed. energy now we gone to if Fletcher believes

He is adamant that the what if it breaks up? What if government’s figures sale of the liquids will be itfallsinthesea?Whatifthe “appear to be figures drawn able to pay off the pipeline gets a little hole out of a hat, and wishful investment for the project, there...I can’t understand it, thinking.”Seelinkbelowfor however government is when are we gonna end with more. hoping that the facilities will this morbid, sour kind of is able to service its annual https://www kaieteurne remainfunctionaltoensureit approachhereallthetime?” wsonline com/2022/10/09/j

The GTE project entails agdeo-pulling-numbers-out- loans. three major aspects, that is, of-thin-air-to-justify-us2-

Guyana will be paying the pipeline to transport the billion-wales-gas-plant- U.S oil major ExxonMobil gas to Wales, the NGL engineer/ some US$55 million each facility that will treat and yearfor20yearstorepaythe separate the gas, and the Former teacher freed company for its investment power plant to generate the of rape charges after in the pipeline. In addition to electricity victim withdrew allegation this, Guyana will also be There has been no - Wins $5M judgment expected to repay another updated feasibility study for defamation US$51 million annually for since the cost of the project 20 years on a loan the jumped from US$478 CoenJackson,theformer country will take to pay for milliontooverUS$2billion. Bishops’ High School theNGLfacilityandthegas-

A Guyanese engineer, teacher, who was accused of fired power plant This Fitzroy Fletcher, with over raping a child under the age amounts to an annual debt of 50 years of expertise has so of 16, was freed on Friday of US$106million. farchallengedeachaspectof three counts of rape after the

Freed of rape charges:

Coen Jackson

The former Head-ofthe project, insisting that its victim withdrew the State argued, “But what if a n y t h i n g h a p p e n s tomorrow? What if the existingpowerplantwetook a loan for what? Let me say something else, if we had a loan in GPL and the GPL blowsuptomorrow,whatare we gonna do? We’d have to repay the loan through some other means, the existing means.”

Jagdeo continued, “How can a government operate on what ifs? We are hoping that we, in these issues nobody buildsanything.” viability is simply no longer allegation. He even sought to put in relevant owing to the Jackson was charged perspective that if the mammothincreaseincost. with engaging in sexual Publisher of this newspaper, He explained, “The activity with a child under Mr Glenn Lall was pipeline costs have escalated the age of 16 years by considering an unfortunate too much and have made the abusing a position of trust incident, he may not have project no longer feasible. contrary to the provisions of “putupthatbigbuilding”but Clearly,weshouldgobackto theSexualOffencesAct. ifitweretocollapse,theloan the drawing board and The former teacher was

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