As oil and gas operations continue to ramp up in Guyana, the number of Guyanese servicing the sector has been rapidly increasing. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation, Darren Woods said over 3,500 Guyanese have been supporting the company’s operations in the South American country, while 800 local businesses have been supplying services to the industry.
Speaking at the launch of the International Energy Conference and Expo-Guyana on Tuesday, February 15 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Woods said that increasing local participation through capacity building is a key component of the value that petroleum operations bring to the country. He stated, “We’ve made a lot of progress in advancing local opportunities for the people of Guyana and, through our partnership, we remain committed to making further advancements.”
He also noted that that company aims to continually pursue its local content goals, pointing to efforts to equip Guyanese with the tools to build their capacity for the sector. The Centre for Local Business Development was established by ExxonMobil in 2017 to execute this objective. That Centre has been providing training and guidance to hundreds of local companies on matters of compliance and industry requirements, while also providing a platform for Guyanese companies to keep abreast with opportunities in the sector.
The CEO reflected on the launch of the $100 million Greater Guyana Initiative, which is a 10-year, commitment by ExxonMobil and its partners on the Stabroek Block to support local capacity-building programmes. “The first phase is funding significant expansion of the Centre for Local Business Development … technical, education and training programmes, and more recently support to the University of Guyana. We’re hopeful that these efforts will continue to expand the growing opportunities for Guyanese workers,” he said.
The official, during his remarks, also highlighted projects, such as the Gas-to-Energy initiative, that have been birthed from the company’s activities in Guyana and which are expected to positively impact Guyanese. “We believe it’s vitally important that benefits are widely shared. This includes increasing the capabilities of the local workforce and building new infrastructure. That’s the focus of the gas-to-energy project, the Greater Guyana Initiative and other efforts to develop capacity and maximise local content,” he said.
Additionally, he noted that that the Gas-to-Energy project, which will see 50 million cubic feet of natural gas per day being piped onshore, will provide a lower-emission source of energy for the country, while significantly reducing the cost of electricity in Guyana.
