American Petroleum Institute trains Guyanese on oil metering

Oct 06, 2019 News

By Kiana Wilburg

To ensure Guyana has the fundamentals in place for the accurate metering of oil which is poised to start flowing at the latest, first quarter, 2020, the Energy Department has aligned itself with the American Petroleum Institute (API).

Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe

Headquartered in Washington D.C, this world-renowned organization on such issues is the largest trade association for the oil and gas industry in the USA. It claims to represent around 400 corporations engaged in oil production, extraction (including hydro-fracking), distribution, and other aspects of the industry.
Making this revelation recently was Energy Department Director, Dr. Mark Bynoe. During his interview on Kaieteur Radio’s Programme, “Guyana’s Oil and You”, Dr. Bynoe said that having the expertise as well as the technology to ensure the accurate metering of Guyana’s oil is a serious matter for the Department hence the partnership that was forged with the American Petroleum Institute.
The Director noted that the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has a critical role to play in the metering process, specifically for calibration and instrumentation. The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), he said, is another important partner as it would be responsible for what is coming from the well heads to the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels.
He said, “And it is in that context the training from the API has been provided. Part of what is also required is the need for our officers visiting the FPSO to undertake is the HUET training.”
The HUET training is designed to provide personnel who travel by helicopter with an understanding of helicopter escape procedures, in particular, action to be taken to evacuate or escape from a ditched/ capsized helicopter.
Dr. Bynoe said that several GGMC officers completed this but the GNBS officers will go off some time this month for their training.
On the radio programme as well, Dr. Bynoe had said that other preparations are being fast tracked to ensure that the nation has all the necessary mechanisms in place for oil metering. He said that his team is aiming for the completion of a Crude Lifting Agreement before year end.
The agreement will set the rules for the accurate metering of the oil as well as the guidelines to be followed for how the operator and the government shall collect their entitlement.
Dr. Bynoe said, “This is critical for us because the timetable has moved forward for us with the arrival of the Liza Destiny (Guyana’s first Floating Production Storage and Offloading-FPSO vessel) and the need therefore arises for us to put in place mechanisms and systems for early notification of when a lift would occur.”
Further, the Energy Director said that he is looking to put a crude marketing framework while working to enhance the capacity of four agencies, particularly the GNBS, which would be involved in the process of monitoring the metering operations.
Additionally, Dr. Bynoe said that the Department will soon be moving from the Ministry of the Presidency to a new location so that it can accommodate more staff.
He said, “This will allow us to bring in more people and we have already advertised for seven advisors.”
Dr. Bynoe noted that of the seven, an Oil and Gas Commercial Specialist and an Advisor for Crude Oil Logistics and Marketing would be hired by October 15. He said, too, that the department will be looking to hire a Legal Advisor.
Dr. Bynoe noted that the foregoing matters remain on his immediate to-do-list.

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