The Government of Guyana will expand dredging efforts in the Demerara River to create the depth needed for larger vessels, as port capacity expands to meet rising demand from oil and gas activity offshore.
Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar made the statement on day three (February 19) of the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo in Georgetown.
“We’re going to dredge it to make sure that you have required depth for large vessels to come in…and bring down cost,” Indar said.
He tied the dredging plan to the government’s push to grow Guyana’s maritime capacity alongside the energy sector. Indar said the administration is engaging operators across the maritime space as port-related projects move forward.
“We continue to work with every single operator, whether you’re a vessel operator, whether you are lifting oil, whether you’re building a port, whether you’re moving materials to our waters,” he said.
The 346 km long Demerara River in Guyana flows north to the Atlantic Ocean, serving as a critical commercial waterway anchored by the capital city and main seaport, Georgetown, at its mouth. It facilitates major trade in sugar, timber, and oil-related cargo.
Oil and gas activities driven by ExxonMobil’s Stabroek Block development activities have led to heightened marine traffic in Guyana. That increase quickly led to the need for more port facilities. Guyana has been building out shore base and port facilities to support offshore logistics and wider cargo throughput.
In January 2025, Phase I of the Port of Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase Inc. was commissioned on the Demerara River at Plantation Best, West Bank Demerara. The project was reported as a US$300 million investment built on an artificial island. Works included dredging and upgrades to the river channel and related port infrastructure to support oil and gas operations.
Beyond Demerara, port expansion has also been advancing in Berbice.
Bechtel Corporation is leading the development of the Berbice deep-water port that is expected to support the logistics footprint required for Guyana’s second gas development project. That project builds on the momentum of the ongoing Gas-to-Energy initiative at Wales. Muneshwers Limited and John Fernandes Limited, through their joint venture Cranes Guyana Inc., will also invest over US$285 million for a modern port facility in Berbice.
