SBM Offshore’s role in Guyana goes beyond oil production, as its community engagement projects aim to create long-lasting impacts on local economies. While known for its floating production storage and offloading units and offshore capabilities, the Dutch shipbuilder is increasingly focused on initiatives that promote sustainable agriculture, food production, and community welfare in the South American country.
For SBM Offshore, supporting local projects aligns with its sustainability goals and commitment to positively impacting its host communities. This includes partnerships with local farms, at Hubu and Plympton, focused on aquaculture and food production.
“We have a commitment towards our sustainability goals. What is material to the company is to be environmentally aware, to take responsibility and have a passion for unlocking local opportunities,” said Oivind Tangen, SBM Offshore Chief Executive Officer. He highlighted SBM’s focus on creating circular economies through knowledge transfer, enabling communities to achieve economic growth independently.
SBM Offshore’s footprint in Guyana growing larger; 51 new vendors added in 2023 | OilNOW
“We are not [here to] compete in the local environment but to combine a learning process… into communities where you can promote healthy living through green produce,” he added.
Tangen emphasized that SBM’s community projects aim to establish self-sustaining value chains with real, measurable impacts.
“These are strategically important to us but it needs to translate to initiatives locally that really impact local society,” he said, noting SBM Offshore’s commitment to education, biodiversity, and sustainable practices. The team in Guyana, he added, has been “extremely good at identifying opportunities to create circular economies or positive impact even if SBM is not there tomorrow.”
The company is also heavily involved in the Guyana Technical Training College. The first phase was commissioned in February – an FPSO facility simulator called FacTor. Its first cohort of students is from SBM Offshore’s Graduate Trainee program. SBM Offshore was the first major Exxon contractor to receive approval for its local content master plan by the Local Content Secretariat, in 2022.
