ExxonMobil’s systemic failures frightening – Arjoon-Martins

Apr 25, 2021 News

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Kaieteur News – Nation’s environmental credentials eroded by its unprecedented flaring Following the recent commemoration of World Earth Day, environmentalist, Annette Arjoon-Martins says she remains “deeply troubled” that the nation’s environmental credentials are being continually eroded by ExxonMobil’s ‘frightening’ flaring of gas since December 2019 due to the Liza Destiny’s faulty gas compressor system. By burning the associated gas from the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil is releasing, on a daily basis, over 250 toxic chemicals into the nation’s airspace.In an invited comment, the Arjoon-Martins asserted that ExxonMobil was sold to Guyana as the gold standard of oil operations, but upon noting its environmental performance to date, particularly as it relates to flaring, she stated that the oil giant is more akin to having a “brass standard”.
The Head of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society said, “That this global giant has been incapable of resolving a malfunctioning gas compressor for one and a half years (for the Liza Destiny vessel) which has resulted in several billions and counting of cubic feet of gas being flared, is frightening. Frightening because it makes me wonder what other systemic failures we may expect.”
She added, “It is more frightening because of the implications of what this flaring, [which is] being permitted over two administrations means with absolutely no penalties whatsoever. I am left to wonder if this precedent may be indicative of if, heaven forbid, there is an oil spill.”
What is also worrying for the environmentalist is that ExxonMobil’s own oil spill modeling has shown that an unmitigated oil spill will impact the Shell Beach Protected Area, its invaluable biodiversity, watersheds, and fisheries, all of which represent an integral element of Guyana’s blue economy.
She noted too that Guyana’s former impeccable environmental credentials were largely a result of the environmental stewardship of the present administration. While she is deeply grateful to the government for the opportunities provided to her to be of environmental service in marine conservation and mangrove restoration programmes, Arjoon-Martins said she looks forward to the PPP/C administration instituting severe penalties on those responsible for the current state of affairs with ExxonMobil’s operations. “Our country and future generations deserve no less,” she said while noting her delight that Guyana has ratified the Escazú Agreement that not only protects the environment but also the people who defend it.
Just four days ago, Kaieteur News would have reported that ExxonMobil Guyana could take as much as three months to fix a component of its gas compressor which malfunctioned for a fourth time on April 13. The company said that the faulty discharge silencer has been removed, and will undergo further assessment for damage, following which a determination will be made regarding the necessary scope of repairs and/or modifications.
In the meantime, the American oil explorer and operator of the Stabroek Block said that production will be “slowly ramped up” to 100,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). It can also go as high as 110,000 bpd the company noted. Further to this, Kaieteur News and other media entities were told that flaring levels have increased from three to four million cubic feet of gas to 15 million cubic feet of gas. In its statement, which provided justification for the increase, ExxonMobil said, “These operating parameters were defined after careful consideration of safety, environmental, technical and economic factors as well as discussions with the relevant government agencies on the best path forward while repairs and upgrades are ongoing.”
While it is extremely disappointed by its poor performance to date, ExxonMobil Guyana said it is nonetheless “proud of the team offshore that continues to work safely and manage operations efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic…”
Since December 2019, Kaieteur News would have diligently followed and reported on ExxonMobil’s continually malfunctioning gas compressor system. On December 20, 2020, it had announced that the gas compressor issue was fixed once and for all. But during that one-year period, it had already flared 12.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to the removal of 1.6M acres of forest. In simpler terms, this means that Exxon flared toxic Nntural gas that could have been offset by a forest the size of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
However, the issues with its gas compressor would soon return. On January 13, 2021, the gas compressor malfunctioned for a second time. The company did not reveal the cause at that time but said that it was fixed within a matter of hours, or so it thought.
On January 29, 2021, the gas compressor broke down completely, forcing ExxonMobil this time around to send the faulty equipment to Germany for repairs and upgrades. A detailed assessment of the compressor subsequently revealed that an axial vibration of the compressor rotor is what led to mechanical disruptions.
The equipment was back in Guyana by the second week of March where it was installed on the Liza Destiny vessel. Tests were subsequently being carried out in the early part of April, but before that could be completed, the gas compressor which was supposedly repaired and upgraded, malfunctioned for the fourth time.

 

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