Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, has refuted claims by Opposition Parliamentarian David Patterson regarding the operating limits of the country’s oil-producing vessels. Patterson had alleged that the Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, and Prosperity floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs) were producing oil beyond their safe limits, as specified in their environmental permits.
Minister Bharrat clarified in a statement to the National Assembly that Patterson’s claims are both “erroneous” and “deceptive.” He explained that the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), which are the basis for the environmental permits, address the maximum expected production rates for each FPSO.
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According to Bharrat, the Liza Destiny was approved for a maximum production rate of 144,000 barrels per day (b/d) under the previous administration. Additionally, the Liza Unity FPSO was approved for a maximum production rate of 300,000 b/d while the Prosperity FPSO was approved for 264,000 b/d under the current administration.
Bharrat emphasized that the vessels are still operating within these approved rates. He also pointed out that production optimization, a standard global practice, allows for higher production levels as facilities stabilize. This process, he noted, is closely monitored by ExxonMobil Guyana, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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The minister underscored that any increase in production is done under strict supervision and that approvals would not be granted if they posed a risk to the equipment. “These facilities are clearly still operating within their approved production rates,” Bharrat affirmed, adding that optimization, when done safely, benefits all stakeholders, including the government.
Bharrat also highlighted that it was the APNU+AFC government, of which Patterson was senior functionary, that initially approved the maximum production rates for the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity FPSOs.
