U.S. Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone has restated the United States’ full support for Guyana’s rapid energy development as it emerges as a global oil powerhouse.
Speaking during a special briefing on March 25, ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s trip to the Caribbean, Claver-Carone praised Guyana’s ascent in the global energy sector, calling it “one of the greatest stories of the last five years”.
He emphasized that the Trump administration supports responsible oil and gas development in Guyana without punishing countries for pursuing natural resource wealth. He also pointed to previous efforts to pressure the South American nation into scaling back fossil fuel production.
“We saw in the previous administration, in the Biden administration, that countries like Guyana were asked to almost halt their development and progress in favor of renewables. No, we want to see Guyana succeed. We want to see it develop. We believe renewables are complementary in that regard and are not a substitute. So, we want to support Guyana in this development but protect it also from the threats being posed,” Claver-Carone said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to reinforce this message during his March 27 visit, underscoring a broader U.S. commitment to the Western Hemisphere’s energy future. “That’s a win-win for both Guyana and the United States, and I think that’s going to be a big part of the Secretary’s conversations while he’s there,” the US envoy pointed out.
The envoy’s comments come amid growing international interest in Guyana’s massive offshore reserves, largely driven by ExxonMobil’s discoveries in the Stabroek Block.
Guyana has been hailed as one of the most successful deepwater developments in history | OilNOW
ExxonMobil, with a 45% operational stake in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, is pursuing projects like Uaru, Whiptail, and the proposed Hammerhead development. Three are already in operation. Following this, ExxonMobil will turn its attention to Longtail.
Since starting production in 2019, ExxonMobil has ramped up output from the Liza 1, Liza 2, and Payara developments to over 650,000 barrels per day (b/d). The Yellowtail project, expected online this year, will increase production, making Guyana the world’s leading per capita oil producer.
ExxonMobil’s operations in the Stabroek Block are shared with partners Hess (30%) and CNOOC (25%).
