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Names of key figures negotiating with ExxonMobil “still under wraps”- State Minister
By Abena Rockcliffe- Campbell
The government is not ready for the Guyanese people to know the names of the main professionals negotiating with oil giant, ExxonMobil, to secure a deal that will outline how much the nation will benefit from its oil.
From left: Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, Advisor, Dr. Jan Mangal and Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman.
This position taken by the coalition government was articulated by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, as he hosted the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency.
Harmon said that Guyana is by no means suffering a deficit of advice. He told the media that the government is receiving advice from the likes of Chatham House and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
He said, too, that Dr. Jan Mangal, an international expert, is also lending key support.
However, when asked specifically, who were the persons at the table negotiating face to face with ExxonMobil, Harmon stopped giving names.
He told the media, “I cannot say specifically who else was there. Those matters are still under wraps so I cannot give specific names to you. But, what I can say is that the matter was led by the competent Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, and the government has all confidence in that Minister to lead the sector and to lead any negotiation in the best interest of the people of Guyana.”
Harmon also said that President David Granger reinforced his confidence in Trotman by putting him as the head of the ‘quintet plus one’ that has been established recently which includes Dr. Mangal.
Harmon told the media that Dr. Mangal, “Is what we call cutting edge in the industry. Fortunately he is of Guyanese parentage. He operates out of Houston, Texas which is the centre of the oil universe.”
The Minister of State said from time to time the government will identify leading experts in the field of law and the environment as well as those who possess other needed negotiation skills “which we will put to use for the benefit of the people of Guyana.”
“I would not be able to say this is the particular individual that is doing the negotiation. Within the Ministry of Natural Resources, there are some in-house capacities and capabilities but those in-house capacities will be augmented by resources that are available internationally that we will use for our interest.”
Just over three months ago, Government announced the hiring of Dr. Mangal, an expert in offshore and civil engineering. He was appointed as Petroleum Advisor in the Ministry of the Presidency.
Trotman had told the media that Dr. Mangal was recommended last year by consultant Anthony Paul, who compiled the Rapid Analysis of the State of Readiness of Guyana’s Hydrocarbon Regulatory Framework report that was facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
”I think this appointment of Dr. Mangal is timely. It is necessary and we look forward to working with him to move things further apace… He has experience from all sides; the academic, the theoretical and the practical, which is vitally needed at this time,” the Natural Resources Minister shared.
Dr. Mangal has a Doctorate in Offshore Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Edinburg. He has worked in marine and oil and gas industries for the past 18 years in various parts of the world including the United States, West Africa, and the Philippines.
Guyana, through US-owned ExxonMobil, has discovered a large deposit of oil, in offshore concessions and is moving to start production in 2020.
However, there has been deep worry about Guyana’s capacity to handle the negotiations and introduce the necessary legislations and monitoring mechanisms in time.
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