HOUSTON, Texas — ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge said Tuesday that Guyana’s oil industry is moving into a new phase where more fabrication, maintenance and industrial support services will need to be developed locally as offshore production expands.
Speaking at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Routledge said the country has already built much of the foundational infrastructure needed to support offshore operations.
“We invested in some strategic infrastructure, particularly shore bases and training facilities that enabled more of the workforce to come in,” Routledge said during a May 4 panel discussion on Guyana’s offshore development.
He explained that the industry is now transitioning from large-scale project buildout into longer-term operational support.
“We will depend more and more upon in-country capability for fabrication and maintenance and workshops,” he stated.
Routledge said international companies entering Guyana have increasingly formed partnerships with local businesses to support operations.
According to Routledge, building stronger local supply chains could reduce dependence on imported labor and materials while improving efficiency.
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“It means that we will have a more efficient supply chain, more robust, less dependent upon either flying materials in or flying people in,” he stated.
Routledge said Guyana’s oil sector has already progressed beyond its early development stage. ExxonMobil Guyana and its Stabroek Block co-venturers Hess and CNOOC currently produce oil from four floating production, storage and offloading vessels offshore Guyana. Additional developments approved for the block are expected to increase demand for industrial services and maintenance support over the coming years.
