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Minister Patterson clarifies…Exxon permitted to extract half billion barrels, not half million
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson yesterday clarified that oil giant ExxonMobil has been given permission to produce 450 million barrels of oil during Liza Phase-1 as opposed to the figure 450,000 as was reported by Kaieteur News.
Patterson, though on vacation, took timeout to explain this when contacted by this newspaper.
The recording of the press conference at which Patterson spoke was replayed and it was proven that Patterson indeed said that ExxonMobil has permission to produce “no more than half a million barrels.” Later on in the recording Patterson said “to be exact they are only allowed to extract “450.” Because the Minister earlier said “half million barrels” Kaieteur News understood his “450” to mean 450,000 when he really meant 450 million.
Indeed, Patterson was heard further on in the recording saying “so if they want to go beyond the 500 million in Liza one, and they want to go to (Liza) two, they have to submit a renewed EIA, a new developmental plan…the entire gamut.”
Every other detail that was reported in the article is absolutely accurate.
Patterson in the press conference had emphasised that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that was submitted to and accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as ExxonMobil’s developmental plan that has been approved by the Government, were only for Phase-one of the Liza project. Patterson had explained that Phase-one only covers the extraction of no more than half a million barrels of oil. He meant half a billion.
Patterson said that the entire reserve where ExxonMobil is operating has so far been proven to have between 2.25 and 2.75 billion barrels “which means we have six to eight times more.”
The Minister continued, “So, if, and I say if, because I do not have proof that there are any issues or matters that are lacking in the EIA, we will address it, but we haven’t found any. We do not know of any but I know there is concern, and we continue to interrogate, but please understand that no more than Liza one, which is the very first find, is involved here.” (Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell)
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