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Jagdeo to be grilled in Parliament over safety of ramped up oil production by ExxonMobil
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo
Kaieteur News – Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is expected to take the spotlight during the next Sitting of the National Assembly to face questions submitted by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), David Patterson on the safety of the ramped-up production activities in the Stabroek Block by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL).
The company has been granted approval by the government to push oil production beyond the safe operating limits outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for each of the three projects currently producing oil.
In his question to the Vice President, Patterson pointed out the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the safe operating limit at 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) at the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel and 220,000 bpd at the Liza Unity and Prosperity FPSOs.
He however noted that Exxon announced that the Liza Destiny was producing 160,000 bpd, Liza Unity, 250,000 bpd and Prosperity 230,000 bpd as of February 2024. He said the company has stated “that production increases never occur without strict reviews, risk assessments, and that all of those are being reviewed by the Government and the EPA”.
Consequently, the MP asked, “Can the Honourable Vice-President provide the National Assembly with copies of documents submitted by ExxonMobil detailing the technical and environmental assessments undertaken to justify the increased production above the previously approved Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit limits?”
On the same subject, Patterson has asked the VP to provide the National Assembly with copies of the revised permits issued by the EPA that approves the increased daily production.
Opposition MP, David Patterson
Patterson in a brief telephone interview with this publication on Monday explained that Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir initially did not approve his questions “saying that the information belongs to Exxon and we cannot be asking any questions of a private company.”
The former Minister of Public Infrastructure said after he insisted on the importance of the matter being addressed publicly, Nadir conceded and instructed him to direct the questions to Jagdeo.
In a correspondence seen by this newspaper the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs informed Patterson, “Based on research conducted, it was found that questions relating to the Environmental Protection Agency fall under the purview of His Excellency the President. The Hon. Vice President supports the President in specific areas, including Natural Resources and the Environment. In view of this, the Hon. Speaker has directed that the questions be returned to you for resubmission to the Vice President.”
Patterson’s questions have been placed on the Order Paper for August 2, 2024.
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