CNOOC affiliate among 17 vying to construct gas infrastructure for Guyana’s upstream developments

Mar 01, 2024 ExxonMobil, News, Oil & Gas

Kaieteur News – An affiliate of CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a partner in the offshore Stabroek Block, is among 17 local and international companies/ consortiums that have submitted proposals for the design, finance, construction, and operation of important gas infrastructure in Guyana.

The Government of Guyana (GoG) through the Ministry of Natural Resources had issued Request for Proposals (RFP) in January seeking private sector proposals for the design, financing, construction, and operation of gas infrastructure to support current and future upstream developments in Guyana.

During the recent opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office, it was revealed that the 17 bidders are: (1)Andalusian Energy in partnership with MAN Energy Solutions, Vepica USA, Raffinate Technologies, and Coldstream; (2)Alfa Co Guyana Inc.; (3) Venture Global LNG Inc., (4)Great Eastern Resources Guyana in partnership with Precious Metals Mines Inc.; (5)Rainbow Global Group Company; (6)SOL Guyana Inc.; (7)Amandi Investment Limited; (8)Bridge Clean Fuels in partnership with ARC Energy, Barson Strategy; (9)Guygas Inc.; (10)Fulcrum LNG Inc.; (11)Massy Gas Products Guyana Limited; (12)Helios Investment Partner; (13)Lindsayca CH4 Guyana Inc.; (14)Energy Transfer International Holdings LLC; (15)China Blue Chemical Limited; (16)CNOOC Gas & Power Group Company Limited; and (17)Atlantic Margin Island Partner Guyana Inc.

The RFP stated that the government is seeking the safe and timely development of the country’s gas resources. The notice stated that the government is also looking to create an open-access infrastructure system. The system will serve both oil and gas developments, encompassing the necessary pipelines required to connect to the gas infrastructure crucial for monetizing upstream gas.

The ministry noted in the document that as part of the process, the selected applicant will have exclusivity to negotiate with the government for its entitlement of gas to ensure the viability of the project and the overall value chain. Notably, the project will be strictly financed and owned 100% by the selected private sector participant.

Kaieteur News had reported that the RPF comes months after the government unveiled Guyana’s National Gas Monetization Strategy. The government is now looking to expedite the monetization of the country’s gas assets, despite the reluctance of ExxonMobil Guyana, the operator of the oil-rich Stabroek Block, to focus on monetizing the gas assets.

It was reported too that former Trinidad & Tobago Energy Minister, Kevin Ramnarine, was paid US$20,000 to prepare the heavily criticized strategy. Criticisms abound regarding the strategy’s lack of concrete steps and its viability in transforming potential options into realities. The draft strategy, unveiled on October 30, 2023, for public consultation by the natural resources ministry, has faced scrutiny for its vagueness and absence of actionable plans. Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo subsequently labeled it a “discussion paper” after acknowledging significant flaws during one of his press conferences.

This publication had highlighted that key elements like Methanol, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Ammonia/Urea production, and Hydrogen were discussed in the strategy. However, there is a glaring absence of detailed strategies for Guyana’s entry into these markets, raising doubts about the feasibility of the government’s approach.

As reported previously, the government has partnered with ExxonMobil for the almost US$2 billion Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project.

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17 companies, gas infrastructure, Ministry of Natural Resources, NPTAB, proposals

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