Latest update February 16th, 2025 7:49 PM
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- Oil in Liza 1, 2 and Payara to be drained in less than five years
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Exxon now required to import equipment to cap blown-out oil well – Min. Bharrat
After 2 ½ yrs of pumping oil…
By Kiana Wilburg
Kaieteur News – In an effort to improve industry performance and the safety of operations in the oil sector, the Guyana Government has ordered ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) to keep a capping stack in the country. This critical piece of equipment is placed over a blown-out well to stop or redirect the flow of hydrocarbons and to buy time for engineers to permanently seal the well.
Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat
Highlighting this key development which is now included as a requirement in Exxon’s Yellowtail Environmental Permit was Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat. He was at the time, making his contributions to the parliamentary debate held last Thursday on the opposition’s motion for full liability coverage for oil spills.
The official assured that while government is supportive of an accelerated rate of exploration and development, it is not oblivious to the risks involved. It is with this understanding in mind that measures have been taken to ensure Guyana is equipped with the tools needed to respond to any disaster almost immediately, contended the minister.
With specific reference to Exxon’s US$10B Yellowtail Project, he said the government was able to arm the country with key safeguards.
Minister Bharrat said, “Guyana is one of the few oil producing countries that will have a capping stack in country and that is included in the Yellowtail Permit. Brazil and Trinidad don’t have one in-country. They pay subscription and it is in some other part of the world. We are also paying the subscription too. Even though it will cost us a little more we believe we should go the extra mile and bring it in country.”
Minister Bharrat added that previously, the capping stack was held in Houston, however, “We are establishing Guyana as a hub.” On this note he said the capping stack would be made available for Suriname or Trinidad and Tobago to use if a major oil spill occurs as such a disaster could have far reaching implications for Guyana too.
“If we did not have that in country and it happens it would take over 10 to 15 days depending on the availability to get the capping stack here. Having it here means we can deploy almost immediately,” the Minister stated. It should be noted that in 2019, former Head of the Energy Department, Dr. Mark Bynoe had announced that a capping stack was one of the requirements attached to the Liza Phase Two Environment Permit. It had said that there should be the establishment of a Regional Capping Stack or other solution to ensure that a Capping Stack can be deployed within five days of a well control event with loss of containment. This requirement has since been utilized and refined in the Yellowtail permits.
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