Exxon’s gas pipeline 50% complete - GTE Project manager

Exxon’s gas pipeline 50% complete – GTE Project manager

Mar 21, 2024 Court Stories, ExxonMobil, Features / Columnists, News, Oil & Gas

ExxonMobil’s GTE Project Manager, Friedrich Krispin

…Court cases did not slow us down

By Davina Bagot

Kaieteur News – ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of the Stabroek Block has completed 50% of the works associated with the pipeline component of the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project. Not only is the pipeline on target for its initial completion date but also disputes over the acquisition of the land, did not slow down the contractor.

ExxonMobil’s Project Manager, Friedrich Krispin during an Open House discussion on Tuesday, hosted at the Aracari Resort, Versailles, West Bank Demerara provided this newspaper with the update on the pipeline works being carried out by the company.

The GTE features a 225 kilometers pipeline as well as a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility and a gas-fired power plant that will generate 300 megawatts of power. The session provided stakeholders an opportunity to interact with the GTE team and seek clarity on the project or address their concerns.

Krispin told Kaieteur News that the company is proud of the progress it has made to date on the pipeline. He explained, “In general the overall project is about 50% complete at this point which we feel very proud of. The onshore side, which is the 25-kilometer onshore pipeline is about 60% complete and the offshore side everything is ready to be completed but we are waiting for better weather.”

Scenes from Exxon’s Open House meeting on the Gas-to-Energy project

He noted that the offshore pipeline works are expected to be done between May and August. Citizens Vanda Radzik and Elizabeth Hughes had filed a legal challenge to the pipeline Permit granted to ExxonMobil by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) back in March last year. The Court later ruled on October 5, 2023 that the EPA acted ‘contrary to the law’ and ‘improper’, by granting a Permit to EMGL, but it did not quash the approval.

At least two other citizens with land disputes had also filed legal proceedings, however Exxon said this has not affected its work. Krispin was asked by this newspaper if there was any delay in the delivery of the pipeline due to the legal challenges, however he said there was none.

“None at all, we were originally committed to finish at the end of October and our target is to finish by the end of October,” he said. ExxonMobil’s Project Manager was keen to note that the government has been working with the land owners on compensation matters and have acquired the necessary plots required for the project. Meanwhile, in instances where land owners are not satisfied, Krispin signalled “they have to take it up with the government”.

He noted, “There is an important reason to be able to obtain that land to be able to install the pipeline and that’s what they have done and provided (us) with the easement so we can build the pipeline and they will deal with each land owner as they need to.”

The 12-inch diameter pipeline is pegged at US$1B and will transport gas from two Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs) in the Stabroek Block to the Wales development site. The structure will pass through several residential communities and farmlands, as well as waterways and roads. Residents had complained before of the lack of consultation and community engagement on the project.

Notably, there was no government representative or station at Tuesday’s Open House event. ExxonMobil will be employing Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) to plant the structure beneath canals and roads, as necessary. During this process, specialized equipment is used to drill a path for the pipe from a single surface location to a single exit point. Exxon has hired SICIM and Gaico to conduct the onshore pipeline works, while the contract for the offshore works was awarded to Van Oord. The pipeline will be buried some 9-feet below the surface and will be tested to ensure it meets the required safety and pressure standards. Markers will be installed along the pipeline route onshore. Most of the offshore pipeline will remain above the sea floor.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

complete, gas, GTE, Krispin, pipeline, slow

Latest News