Govt. will run procurement and local content audits on ExxonMobil

Jun 06, 2021 News

President Ali at Saipem launch…

President Irfaan Ali at the Saipem facility launched yesterday.

Kaieteur News – President, Irfaan Ali disclosed yesterday that the government has no intention of taking ExxonMobil’s words as gospel when it comes to its reports on local content. The Head of State noted that the Stabroek Block operator would be subjected to procurement and local content audits when the requisite specialists are hired.
Ali made this disclosure during his feature presentation at the opening of Saipem Guyana’s Offshore Construction Facility at Water Street, Georgetown. The opening of the facility represented a major milestone for Saipem which is one of ExxonMobil’s prime contractors. The Italian oilfield contractor has been the main provider of subsea cables and associated structures for ExxonMobil’s offshore Guyana projects, namely, the Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two and Payara Projects.
The facility at Water Street boasts direct access to the Demerara River and will have the largest heavy lift crane in Guyana, specialised fabrication, welding and testing equipment, and a heavy load-bearing jetty.
At the opening ceremony, the President said the government is examining the organisational structure of Exxon Mobil with a view to having checks and balances in place. He said that the oil giant was also informed of the government’s intention on this front.
He said, “…We have very frank meetings with ExxonMobil. So we will have a procurement specialist that will be checking so it will not be ExxonMobil saying that the procurement is pushing forward locals. We will have our own procurement and local content audit by persons working in oil and gas sector.”
The President said this is being done as his government intends to be “open and transparent.” He said, “It may be uncomfortable sometimes but it is the environment in which we will all operate in. And any investor and any government want a predictable environment so it is best we all know upfront where we are going.”

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