Two out of five companies vying to audit Exxon’s costs affiliated with oil giant

Aug 02, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – Since issuing its invitation in April for interested companies to submit bids to audit ExxonMobil’s 2018- 2020 costs, five entities come forth in hopes of being selected for the job. These companies are: Bayphase Oil and Gas Consultants; Rosa, Correia & Associados (RCA) Inc. in partnership with Swale House Partners; Gaffney Cline and Associates in partnership with Squire Patton Boggs; Calender Law Firm; and Eclisar Financial and Professional Services.
Upon a preliminary review of the companies vying to verify ExxonMobil’s costs, Kaieteur News has discovered that at least two out of the five interested companies and/or their primaries are associated with the United States oil giant.
One would recall that in January 2020, Bayphase, a company headquartered in the United Kingdom, was hired under the former APNU+AFC administration to review the Field Development Plans (FDP) for Payara — Exxon’s third development offshore Guyana.
During that same period, Kaieteur News had reported that the company was not only a client of ExxonMobil but even a number of its primary contractors are working in Guyana. These included NEXEN, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), Schlumberger and Technip FMC.
This paper had shown too that Bayphase never gave any unflattering reports on its clients.
Kaieteur’s research has also found that Gaffney, Cline and Associates Incorporated also has links to ExxonMobil. Gaffney Cline and Associates Incorporated, is a consultancy firm that has been in the business for some 50 years. On its website, it boasts of its work which “enables energy companies and governments to navigate economic and technical uncertainties by providing creative and practical solutions”.
According to a biography on the Natural Resources Forum, the Principal Commercial Manager of Gaffney Cline, Ryan Perreia “brings over 12 years of experience in the energy sector, from industry and advisory roles, with majors (ExxonMobil) and operators (Centrica Energy), as well as working with joint venture parties and national oil and gas companies.”
Kaieteur News is unaware of whether these company’s ties would disqualify them from winning the contract. However, the Consultant is required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest arising out of other assignments.
The expression of interest of this project relates specifically to the consultancy for Cost Audit under Sub-Component B.1 of the Guyana Petroleum Resources Governance and Management Project that is funded by a US$20M World Bank loan.
The assignment for cost audit will also require the provision of on-the-job training to the staff of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) and the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and other agencies as directed by the Government of Guyana on the audit process.
Furthermore, the company selected would be expected to assess the impact of the audit on future Profit Oil revenues. The duration of this assignment is expected to be four months, commencing June 2021. The Consultant’s physical presence would be required, as agreed by the Client, for at least 30 days of the four months and as set out in the Implementation arrangements.’
Importantly, local firms with the required skills, qualifications and experience are encouraged to apply for this consultancy. Wherever necessary, the government said that the eligible partnership that exists between a local and international firm that can perform these tasks should be expressed in an application.

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