Latest update August 4th, 2026 12:30 AM
Second pipeline to hit Berbice before Pres. Ali demits office – Routledge tells Int’l conference
(Kaieteur News) – For over one year, a gas pipeline from the Liza Fields offshore Guyana to Wales, West Bank Demerara has been completed and remains inactive, yet a second pipeline that is expected to cost Guyana double the cost is being planned for Berbice- a piece of infrastructure that should be landed before President Irfaan Ali completes his second term in 2030.
This ambitious agenda was announced not by the Head of State but by the President of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair Routledge during the United States-Guyana Business Exchange Reception in Houston Texas this week.
About 200 persons congregated in the room, comprising a private sector and government-mixed delegation from Georgetown and anxious foreign investors.
Map showing the location of the first pipeline constructed by ExxonMobil and the second proposed structure to land in Berbice.
Routledge in remarks revealed, “We have now landed a pipeline and we are ready to deliver gas to the Wales Development Zone in Region Three but the vision of his excellency and the challenge he has set us on timeline is by the end of his presidency, we will have also the Berbice Region supported gas flow and a whole new set of industries.”
The EMGL President added, “So we are excited, in fact more than excited, very, very excited about what has happened in Guyana so far. ExxonMobil is honoured to be a part of this. Yes, we are making huge investments, over US$65B committed to the country but what we have been able to do in the partnerships and with the people of Guyana gives us that confidence to continue on that journey.”
He noted that the company is moving onto more complex resources as it pursues the Longtail project, its eight proposed development, but it has also set eyes on a ninth, Haimara, which will be used to give life to the President’s vision for Berbice.
Routledge said, “…hopefully also with the Haimara project next year, bring that forward to the government and build the resource, develop that resource to support development in the Berbice area for a whole new onshore development.”
Meanwhile, President Ali described Guyana as a prime investment hub which would not limit businesses to just the local market in Georgetown but would offer opportunities beyond borders. “If you’re investing in Guyana, you are not investing within the borders of Guyana. The journey that we are taking must allow you to understand that we are targeting a market of over 400 million consumers because we are part of a Region where we have preferential treatment and trade agreements with a market of over 400 million consumers,” the President signaled while questioning small and medium scaled enterprises to think about how they can benefit from “low cost of energy” and a “highly efficient system” in a great geographic location.
Also delivering remarks during the forum were the President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Kathy Smith, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Gerald Gouveia (junior) and Honorary Consul General, Lutfi Hassan.
The second pipeline
Exxon’s 12-inch pipeline was completed in December 2024 to support the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project. The structure is estimated at US$1B while a US$759M Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility and 300-megawatt power plant at Wales is being constructed.
The new pipeline to Berbice will not be an affordable piece of infrastructure, but can cost this nation a whopping US$2B, Routledge previously cautioned.
“To do similar for Berbice in larger volumes, a larger pipeline could easily be US$2 billion or more,” he noted.
During a press conference earlier this year, the President of ExxonMobil Guyana told reporters that both the government and Exxon have been receiving letters from companies around the world that are interested in using Guyana’s gas to develop projects such as data centers, converting bauxite to alumina and more power generation.
Given the significant interest, Routledge explained that large gas resources will be required to supply and sustain these developments.
Before making such an investment, Exxon said it is ensuring that there is a market for the gas which can be sold at a price to ensure its feasibility.
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