PAYARA, TERA MERA PYAAR

Sep 16, 2020 Letters

Ah got a little less dan half
Of de play in Stabroek Block
Hess got lil more dan quarter
And CNOOC got an exact quarter
But me is de managing partner
In de energy Consortium,
Operating de oilfield off Guyana.

Plenty oil deh under dere
Two miles below de surface
Plus two below de seabed.
Nuff nuff people running round
As if it’s money in meh pocket.
And dey want a fairer share
Dan de contract dat we sign.

De price of oil is volatile
It drop from seventy to forty.
Production volume less dan half
Of what we had projected.
Some people seh dat I’m dying;
Now is de time to get some more:
De golden goose ready for de taking.

Ten billion dollars I have already spent
Including how many cents from them?
They sent supposedly their brightest
To negotiate a contract on their behalf.
If you do not do your homework
In dis business, you are screwed.

Ah gave dem a pittance of a signing bonus
Which dey were glad to get, and hide,
Reserved, dey said, for upcoming lawyers’ fees.
We ignored ring fencing and did a tax thing
Dat de IRS might find ultra fascinating
Maybe if we let it pass without a letter ruling
A whistle blower might be handsomely rewarded.

Ah got Payara on hold waiting for approval.
Some seh dis is de instrument feh knock me cold.
But what if I need some quick cash now
To pay my shareholders their usual dividends
And I sell my part to Cnooc?

Dem gon have to learn some Mandarin.
Dey gon get as much local content as dey got
On de Marriott and de CBJ Airport.
Like almost any matter, timing is everything.
You are unlikely to get better deals
When just about every thing is down.

Payara, tera mera pyaar.
This has nothing to do with the poem.
Just that “Payara” evoked memories
Of that old Hindi song and movie:
“Tera Mera Pyaar”
Which I think means,
You are my love!

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