Fmr. EPA Head defends call to shutdown ExxonMobil operations until faulty gas compressor is fixed

Feb 20, 2021 News

Former EPA Director, Dr. Vincent Adams

Kaieteur News – Former Environmental Production Agency (EPA) Director, Dr. Vincent Adams, received much flack this week for his call to have the Stabroek Block operations of ExxonMobil Guyana be shut down until the malfunctioning gas compressor of the Liza Destiny vessel is resolved.
Specifically bashing Dr. Adams for his statements was the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC), President, Manniram Prashad. He had said that Dr. Adams’ proposition was “extreme”. But the former EPA head disagrees. In response to his critics, Dr. Adams said citizens should view as extreme, Exxon’s refusal to slash its production in order to return its increased flaring to pilot levels.
To achieve this, Dr. Adams explained that Exxon would only have to cut production by only 15,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), thereby moving it from 120,000 bpd to 105,000 bpd.
Despite calls for it to minimize production levels so that flaring levels can be reduced, ExxonMobil has been hell bent doing as it pleases. In fact, the oil giant is currently producing at its maximum rate of 120,000 bpd while simultaneously flaring 16 million cubic feet (mcdf) of natural gas. If that figure is to be considered accurate, Dr. Adams posited it could be assumed that some components of the malfunctioned gas compressor system is still operating to allow approximately 95 mcfd to be re-injected.
“Therefore, based upon the gas to oil production ratio, calculations would show that reducing the production rate by only 15,000 bopd to 105,000 bopd would reduce the flaring by 15 mcfd, leaving 1 mcfd for allowable pilot flaring, and would bring the flaring into compliance with the environmental permit and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA),” the former EPA Director said.
Moreover, Dr. Adams said the Energy Chamber should remember that when Exxon’s gas compressor malfunctioned initially in 2020, the company “fully cooperated” with the EPA’s request for production to be reduced to 30,000 bpd so as to reduce flaring to a minimum safe level and allow for the compressor to be repaired. He found it puzzling that the company was so eager to reduce production in 2020 but is now hesitant to do the same this time around.
Further on, Dr. Adams noted that the GOGEC should be “at ease” if ExxonMobil Guyana does the responsible thing and reduce production. If that is done, then there would be no need for calls to continue for the company to shut down operations, the former EPA Head stated.

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