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Transparency Advocates await “bridging deed” to take lawsuit against Exxon contract
Social Activist Ramon Gaskin said that lawyers are now awaiting the “bridging deed” to finalize the filing of a legal challenge against Exxon’s illegal contract.”
Gaskin said all of the legal paper work to file the lawsuit has already been completed.
Transparency advocate and social activist, Ramon Gaskin
But lawyers have advised that the “bridging deed” must be included in the file.
Gaskin said that he was told that the Bridging Deed is very essential in assisting their argument to strike out illegalities in the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) between Guyana and ExxonMobil’s Subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).
One such illegality is the 600 blocks granted to EEPGL.
According to Guyana’s laws an operator is only permitted to have no more than 60 blocks.
The allocation of these 600 blocks was granted in the 1999 PSA signed by the then Petroleum Minister, the late Janet Jagan.
In the 2016 agreement, this significant amount of blocks did not change. EEPGL is still entitled to have 600 blocks.
The “Bridging Deed” is said to include a full description of the blocks and a map of the area allotted to the Oil Company.
The PSA also states that the purpose of the deed is to replace 1999 Petroleum Prospecting License.
Gaskin said that a letter was sent to the government last week requesting the “Bridging Deed”.
The transparency Advocates, Gaskin, Attorney-at-law, Melinda Janki and the persons who made monetary donations towards the $1M lawsuit, hope to receive the deed before the end of this month.
Gaskin and Janki revealed their intentions to challenge the PSA that governs Guyana’s lucrative Stabroek block last year at a forum held at the Critchlow labour college.
After the illegalities within the PSA were highlighted to the audience at the forum, Gaskin said that it would cost $1M to file a legal challenge against the contract.
He then pledged $100,000 and was immediately supported by Janki and members of the audience who made monetary donations towards the cause that said moment.
Critics have taken a pessimistic approach to the idea of challenging the Contract.
Some said that “pressuring Exxon too much will cause them to pack up and leave”
Others have said that it is a waste of money because “you can never win against Exxon”.
The government on the other hand is silent about a renegotiation.
The opposition Party had said that nothing can be done because of contract Sanctity and stability clauses.
But Gaskin and his colleagues refuse to be pessimists. They believe that law take precedence over any contract.
Gaskin said that applying pressure for a better contract or deal “won’t chase Exxon away”.
The Social activist said that Guyana’s oil is too sweet and highly profitable.
“They are not going anywhere because we got the best oil and it’s cheap to extract”.
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