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Trinidad pledges assistance to Guyana for oil exploration – Expresses support in Venezuela border controversy
Prime Minister of T&T Dr. Keith Rowley (centre) in conversation with St. Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet (left) and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness after the opening ceremony
: President David Granger
By Jarryl Bryan
With the recent discovery of a significant oil presence offshore, Guyana will need robust support as it prepares to develop an oil sector potentially worth billions of dollars. And according to Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, his country stands ready to assist.
Rowley, who is attending the Thirty Seventh Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community being held here, was responding to queries about the level of support Trinidad, will be offering to Guyana.
“At the moment I’m not sure what you are hearing, but there is a lot that we can give,” he said, in response. “Because Trinidad and Tobago has been in this business for so long and we are desirous of seeing that Guyana develops one of the things that we have.”
While not a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Trinidad is by far the Caribbean region’s biggest producer of oil, with its first oil well drilled over a century ago. Since then, it has not looked back and has developed a vibrant industry.
“We have a pool of technical expertise that is available,” Rowley said. “And we hope some time in the not so distant future that Trinidad with its technical experience and its human resource base and our plans and equipment could be available to Guyana’s disposal if Guyana becomes interested in any further hydro carbon development.”
Rowley also stated that the Trinidad and Tobago government supported the international arrangements set between Guyana and Venezuela on its border controversy.
“We will continue to appeal to both parties to do nothing,” he stated. “We are expecting that Venezuela will do nothing to prevent Guyana from realizing the development of its natural resources. “
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, on May 27, last year, had issued a decree, extending his country’s claim to Guyana’s territorial waters. Accompanying the decree, a map was issued which showed that the claim includes the area where the US oil company, ExxonMobil had been drilling for oil by provision of the Guyanese government.
Maduro’s decree came on the heels of the announcement that a hefty amount of hydrocarbons (oil) was found.
ExxonMobil recently drilled another well. This well confirmed that Guyana’s oil reserve is even larger than originally believed.
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