Oil company commences engagement with Indigenous Communities for onshore drilling

Mar 08, 2026 News

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…promises jobs and higher revenues for country

By: Davina Bagot

(Kaieteur News) – A locally owned oil and gas company, Cataleya Petroleum Inc., has approached Indigenous communities in the hinterland to engage citizens on its intention to commence onshore operations.

On February 28, representatives of Cataleya met with residents in Karasabai, Region Nine where they unfolded plans to start operations at the ‘Hunt Oil Stretch’.

In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, Chairman of the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), Michael Williams, said he believes the meeting with leaders in the South Pakaraimas was intended to “buy the people to say yes” and garner feedback on plans to explore for oil in the area.

The NRDDB represents 20 villages and more than 8,000 residents.

Just nearby to where the company intends to explore for hydrocarbons rest an important agricultural area for the communities, the Santa Fe farm.

Williams said this was the first of three planned engagements by Cataleya Petroleum Inc which is expected to meet with residents in North Rupununi and South Rupununi.

“What they said was that they haven’t sought anything yet. They are now starting and feeling their way to see what the people think and they are aware that there was already oil testing (and) drilling in that same Hunt Oil area and they were saying now that they have modernised equipment and technology and they quite sure they can be successful,” the Chairman of the North Rupununi District Development Board explained.

With the company planning to explore for oil and gas within the Takatu Block onshore, residents are already beginning to question the potential of this development to transform their lives.

“We are not going to support it!”

“For the people of North Rupununi we give a no-no to this. We are not going to support it,” Williams stated.

“We are not benefitting from this oil already now for more oil to be drilled. For now, or all the time is no,” the Leader pointed out.

He noted that the company has committed to investing in the Region, employing skilled residents, local content opportunities for businesses, skills training development and investment in community-based projects and ultimate payment of revenue to the country should oil production commence.

Williams was however adamant that he does not see the advantage in these promises and while other leaders may be “bribed” into submission, his position will not change. “I know some leaders may take bribe. I would call that bribe when monies are being paid but for me as Chairman of the Board it’s a no-no. For how long will they train our people? We are talking about oil drilling. Do we have the capacity? I don’t see it,” he reasoned.

During the meeting held by Cataleya in Karasabai, no representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the Ministry of Natural Resources were present.

Williams told this newspaper that he is yet to formally raise his concerns and disapproval for the proposed activity with government and plans to do so after engaging more villagers on the subject for further feedback.

In the meantime, he explained the significance of preserving the area and the years-long battle of the villages to maintain the environment.

“We have through the Amazon Sustainable Landscape programme five years for the North Rupununi wetlands to be protected so we are creating a management plan. How do we plan, what do we plan, how do we benefit from the Wetlands and Kanuku Mountains…here comes proposed oil drilling. In the North Rupununi we were trying to protect the wetlands over 25 years ago. We wanted it to be a Ramsar site but Guyana was not a signatory to the Ramsar Convention even though Guyana was a signatory of many conventions so that fell apart,” the Chairman noted.

Ramsar sites, according to research, are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty established in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. As of January 2026, there are over 2,520 sites worldwide covering more than 253 million hectares, aimed at conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable, “wise use” of these ecosystems.

Protect or develop?

Presently, the EPA is leading the Amazon Sustainable Landscape programme, a World Bank Initiative aimed at conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable development in the Amazon region.

To this end, Williams said he is anxious to see how the regulator manages the proposal for oil and gas activity and protect the wetlands in the North Rupununi.

The five million Euro programme is designed to preserve the ecological and hydrological integrity of these critical areas and aims to support conservation efforts in important habitats in the Rupununi. The project directly benefits several Indigenous communities and bolsters their ability to protect their environment, according to a statement by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said.

But beyond the environmental, fiscal and social concerns related to the proposed oil and gas activities in the Hinterland, Williams also worries that there is no legal framework to govern such activities onshore. He said, “I am quite sure that the laws are saying we only have offshore oil drilling and not onshore yet.”

The Chairman plans to seek legal advice on the proposed oil and gas exploration activities.

The Takatu project

According to a document shared with Rupununi villagers by Cataleya Petroleum Inc, the Takatu project seeks to determine the feasibility of exploring for commercial quantities of petroleum; upgrade all geological models for the Takatu Block and increase economic investment in the North Rupununi.

The company said, “The Takatu Project is an idea to look for energy (Oil and Gas) deep underground in the Rupununi…we want to see if oil found in this area in the 1980s can be produced safely and cleanly using new technology.”

Among its initial steps, the Guyanese company said it will share information and seek free, prior and informed consent, seek approval from the EPA and the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The next stage will see Cataleya moving to synthesise and reprocess historical seismic data, inspecting and testing well safety, conducting 3D seismic and or aero surveys and moving to drill exploration wells.

According to the document, Cataleya Petroleum Inc was founded by Ryan Pereira, Michael Cawood and Ryan Ramjit in 2025.

On Saturday, the Minister of Natural Resources did not respond to calls or messages on the issue. During the consideration of budget estimates last month, the minister told the National Assembly that a number of petroleum companies have expressed interest in onshore blocks for exploration activities. He said however, that no blocks will be awarded without first conducting consultations.

“Right now, I can say there’s no consideration of awarding any blocks onshore without consultation because as you would understand, that we would have to hold consultation for onshore blocks, especially the Takatu area which is the basically the wetland and there have been groups that have been advocating to have these areas set aside for conservation and different other reasons,” the minister explained.

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• Cataleya Petroleum Inc., Indigenous communities, Oil and Gas, Oil Company, onshore drilling, Rupununi

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