Stabroek News Sunday

Esso Exploratio­n’s letter contains misleading statements

- Dear Editor, Sincerely, Darshanand Khusial On behalf of OGGN (www.oggn.org/about)

On Saturday August 6th, 2022 the Communicat­ions Manager of Esso Exploratio­n wrote a letter that appeared in the major Guyanese newspapers in which she made a number of points with regard to the EPA permits. However, it appears this letter had misleading statements.

In the letter the Esso Exploratio­n representa­tive states, “Production rates on the Liza facilities are maintained within safe operating limits at all times.”.

The Liza-1 Environmen­t Impact Assessment (EIA), see here https://www.oggn.org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/08/Volume-ILiza-Phase-1-EIA.pdf, states on page 28, “a design rate of 100,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD), with potential to safely operate at sustained peaks of up to approximat­ely 120,000 BOPD.” HESS said, a few months ago, that Liza-1 will be producing more than 140,000 barrels a day see [https://seekingalp­ha.com/article/4504 112-hess-corporatio­n-hes-ceo-johnhess-on-q1-2022-results-earnings-calltransc­ript,.] This link shows a Guyana government website indicating on June 2nd, 2022 that Liza-1 was pumping about 149,000 barrels of oil a day [https://petroleum.gov.gy/data-visualizat­ion?tid=203&tid_1=All]

Given 149,000 is greater than 120,000 then how are safe operating limits maintained at all times on Liza 1 as claimed by the Esso Exploratio­n communicat­ion manager?

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Guyana