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ExxonMobil was fined $5.6M for flaring above safe limits one day in 2023 – EPA
Kaieteur News – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday clarified that ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) was fined $5.6M for flaring excess gas beyond background levels, for one day in 2023.
The regulator was at the time responding to a Kaieteur News article, published on October 22, 2024, titled ‘Exxon Paid EPA GYD $5.6M for Flaring in 2023.’ President of EMGL, Alistair Routledge during the company’s third quarter media conference said US$27,000 or approximately $5.6M was paid to the regulator for one day of excessive flaring in 2023.
The company is required to pay US $50 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) emitted as a result of flaring in excess of the periods outlined in the environmental permits for the three projects currently in operation.
Flaring, as the word suggests, is the process of burning associated gas that is brought up during oil production. Notably, this process emits harmful gases into the atmosphere that can, not only affect seabirds and marine creatures, but also climate change.
In its missive, the EPA pointed out, “It is important to note that routine flaring and venting are prohibited in all permits, and the flaring referenced in the article was not routine, but rather due to the commissioning and start-up of Payara, and a special circumstance of planned maintenance of the gas handling system on the Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in 2023.”
The agency noted that in 2023, the Payara project Floating production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) commissioning and start-up lasted for 39 days. The Permit allows for up to 60 days of flaring; to this end, there was no excess flaring at the Payara FPSO.
EPA explained, “There was only one case of excess flaring under approved special circumstances on board the Liza Unity FPSO. In accordance with condition 3.5.1 of the Liza Unity Permit, approval was granted for planned maintenance during the period of May 6-21, 2023. During this period, flaring beyond background levels occurred for only one day which resulted in an emission of 605.5620 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).”
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