Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), the Honourable Mark Phillips, said the Government intends to continuously bolster investments in human capital to build local content capacity and foster a sustainable future for all Guyanese.

He made the remarks while attending the official launch of the US$20m 3T EnerMech Guyana Training Centre of Excellence and graduation ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

The launch of the petroleum training facility, the Prime Minister noted, would enhance Guyana’s human resource development.

“A crucial factor to the success of our nation lies in our people. We must ensure that we utilise the benefits of the oil and gas sector to build a bright future for this, the next generation of Guyanese and beyond. To do that, we must undertake a culture of ownership, a culture where our local content – our people – can thrive and that includes within the workforce itself.”

The training facility, Guyana’s premier in-country, state-of-the-art facility is a collaborative venture between 3t EnerMech, Orinduik Development Incorporated and Windsor Technologies.

Persons will be taught through blended learning software and technology, and via fully immersive simulators for high-hazard activity learning.

CUTTING EDGE DEVELOPMENT

Prime Minister Phillips, during his address, lauded the drive and innovation of the facility and those responsible for its establishment.

“As the first entity with approval to deliver OPITO (Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation)-accredited training to the oil and gas sector in Guyana, our human resources are now strengthened at a global standard to actively and competently participate in the building of this new and abundant area of the country. With an industry that requires high skills and knowledge, it is reassuring to know that these capacities can be imparted to our people without having to leave their home soil.”

LOCAL CONTENT AT WORK

The Senior Government Official added that the “benefit of strong partnerships can never be understated, for these are the binds that allow goals that may otherwise seem unattainable to be achieved”.

He said that the Government would collaborate with 3t EnerMech to offer a blended technical and vocational training programme for Guyanese interested in careers in the oil and gas industry through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).

“Our Government has continually engaged in the training of our workforce to be able to occupy positions in the oil and gas sector and contribute to the building of this sector, which extends to the development of Guyana. In the past, much of this training was conducted away from home, but today, and from hereon, our people will be able to access such training right here in Guyana.”

In conjunction with the launch, the graduation ceremony, for the first group of students, was also held.

To this end, the Prime Minister charged the graduates to put their skills to use.

“I congratulate the first cohort of participants who underwent training at this facility. May you take your skills and put them to their fullest use as you proceed in your daily tasks of helping to build a better Guyana.”

He said that as a people, Guyana’s success depends on proper resource management, transparency and accountability.

The training programme provides a level one qualification from the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and is divided into three phases: pre-learning assessment and safe passport, which are completed online, and the technical pathway, which is the practical journey, which is completed at the 3T EnerMech headquarters.

Canadian based CGX Energy along with Frontera Energy Corporation have indicated their readiness to spud (begin drilling) the Wei-1 well in the Corentyne block offshore Guyana.

The partners have issued a press release stating their commitment to drill the Wei-1 well and that final preparations are complete in advance of spudding the Wei-1 well.

The well will be spudded no later than January 31, 2023 utilising the NobleCorp Discoverer semi-submersible mobile drilling unit.

The Wei-1 well will be located approximately 14 kilometres northwest of the Kawa-1 exploration well in the Corentyne block, approximately 200 kilometres offshore from Georgetown, Guyana

To go alongside this activity, CGX intends to support the Government’s effort to accommodate increased vessel activity in Guyana. According to a statement from the partners, in-river construction activity has begun for a deepwater port at Berbice.

Work has already begun at the Berbice Deepwater Port (BDWP) on a 50 x 12 metre access trestle from the quayside yard westward into the Berbice river, together with the necessary dredging of the river.

Construction of the wharf, perpendicular to the trestle, will follow.

The cargo terminal aspects of the BDWP are targeted to commence in mid-2023 and operation of oil and gas support base in late-2023, subject to construction schedules and supply chains.

In collaboration with the Government of Guyana, CGX has shifted the immediate focus of the Port to service expected demand for aggregates and building materials to support the Government’s infrastructure development in Berbice which must be imported into the region from elsewhere in the country and offshore.

Photo credit: www.noblecorp.com

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge told a news conference yesterday that preliminary works have begun along the route of the pipeline in the West Bank Demerara.

The Gas to Power project involves the construction of a 300mw combined cycle power plant and a natural gas to liquids facility.

Routledge said that in order to ensure the gas-to-energy plant begins electricity generation in 2024, the company has been pushing ahead with “early works”. Such effort includes the construction of roads, bridges and laydown areas on the West Bank Demerara.

The Guyana government has already contracted an American joint venture, CH/LindsayCA, to build the natural gas-fired electricity plant and the natural gas liquids plant for US$759 million.

Exxon and the Ministry of Natural Resources are currently engaged in a review of the Field Development Plan and the update to the licence for the Liza field. Routledge said that once this step was completed, the company would be able to make the final investment decision (FID) around requirements for the project to proceed.

As part of the project, Exxon would be selling the 50 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to the government entity for use at the electricity generation and natural gas liquids plants.

Furthermore, construction of a 200 kilometre long gas pipeline to bring the gas to shore will commence at a cost of approximately US$1b. Mr. Routledge said that gas sales will cover the cost of the infrastructure without profit, which means that it can deliver gas at a very low price to the country.

This falls in line with the government commitment amidst the energy boom to ensure the creation of prosperity (as outlined in the recent Energy Perspectives podcast featuring Dr. Peter Ramsaroop). Mr. Routledge further added that electricity produced by natural gas would cost 50 percent less than current fuels.

In November 2022, the Guyanese government green lit the project and at the time, President of Guyana, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali made it clear that the offshore gas drilling taking place at breakneck pace must benefit the Guyanese people as a whole and not just those connected to the business. This project, while stabilizing energy distribution in the region, will lead to lower energy costs, significantly while maximizing the use of by-products from drilling.