Improving energy literacy in Guyana remains central to the country’s development, as oil production drives rapid economic expansion. This is according to the Chair of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Georgetown Section.
Kenny Bissoon made the point in a guest editorial published April 1, 2026, in the Journal of Petroleum Technology, where he outlined the need for clearer public understanding of energy as the country scales up.
“As chair of this Section, our main mission today is to ensure everyone starts from a common understanding that energy is essential for Guyana’s progress,” Bissoon outlined.
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He explained that the Section is focused on improving energy literacy at all levels and fostering informed, balanced discussion on energy sources and emissions. That push comes as Guyana’s economy continues to expand following its first offshore oil discovery in 2015. Bissoon noted that while development ambitions have long existed, limited financial and human resources held the country back, adding that a shortage of skilled people remains a constraint.
“There is now a real urgency to recruit the right people in the numbers needed across the country,” Bissoon stated. He pointed to widespread infrastructure expansion, including new roads, hospitals, housing developments, and a bridge linking East and West Demerara, noting that the pace of change is visible across the country.
Against that backdrop, he stressed that energy must be better understood as the foundation of development.
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“The bottom line, however, is that access to energy is the foundation on which sustainable progress and prosperity are built in any society,” Bissoon noted.
Bissoon indicated that the SPE Georgetown Section continues to deliver technical content and public engagement to improve understanding of upstream operations and industry issues that often attract public scrutiny.
“Transformation of Guyana’s energy sector will continue in the decades ahead,” Bissoon stated.
