Exxon's gas-to-energy public consultation at Umana Yana today

Exxon’s gas-to-energy public consultation at Umana Yana today

Jul 09, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – As ExxonMobil concluded its first virtual public scoping meeting on Thursday afternoon, it prepares to continue to facilitate public opinion, comments and questions on pertinent issues for consideration in the gas-to-energy project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). These public scoping meetings conclude on July 22, 2021, and are meant to serve the purpose of public consultations. The next meeting will be held today, July 9 at 3pm, at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown.

Exxon’s schedule for public consultations.

Exxon’s project proposes the installation of a pipeline from the FPSOs Liza Destiny and Unity to an onshore facility located at Wales, West Bank Demerara, to convert Associated Gas from petroleum extraction operations into usable electricity. The project is primarily governed by the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement, which has been deemed by a wide variety of commentators to be lopsided.
The provisions under Article 12 speak to Associate Gas “all costs and expenses incurred by the Contractor in the production, use and/or disposal of the Associated Gas of an oil field as stipulated under Article 12.1 and those incurred in carrying out any feasibility study on the utilisation of the excess Associated Gas shall be charged to the development cost of the oil field and shall be recoverable contract costs.”
In an article previously carried by this publication, it was revealed that the gas-to-energy project summary admitted that the project could have long lasting and serious repercussions for the Guyanese marine and terrestrial environments. The proposed pipeline has the potential to injure or kill a plethora of benthic, or seabed dwelling flora and fauna, especially in the vicinity of the underwater pipeline. Additionally, marine fish species could also be adversely affected, which as previously stated by this publication can result in the disruption to Guyana’s fisheries, one of the largest agricultural sectors in Guyana, which has coincidentally already been negatively impacted. Riverine species are also at risk for being adversely affected by construction activities associated with the pipeline.
Additionally, such a fossil fuel project appears to be inconsistent with Guyana’s commitment to a green agenda and to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. This inconsistency is derived from the fact that the gas-to-energy project will inevitably increase the country’s Co2 emissions. This remains especially worrisome in the face of evidence previously elaborated upon by this publication which appears to suggest that renewable energy plants with a similar capacity to the proposed Natural gas plant, such as those proposed by solar power companies in Louisiana, United States of America, can deliver a source of power that is more than nine times cleaner and three times cheaper.