ExxonMobil meets the Opposition today on a faulty gas compressor
… Economic impact on Guyana high on the agenda – Shadow Oil and Gas Minister
Kaieteur News – ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge has agreed to Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon’s request to meet and be briefed on the problems he developed last week with the flash gas compressor aboard the Liza Destiny.
Shadow Oil and Gas Minister, David Patterson
This was confirmed by the Shadow Minister with responsibility for the Oil and Gas portfolio, David Patterson, in an invited comment yesterday.
According to Patterson, the economic impact on the country as a whole will be high on the agenda, as he admitted that cut production would inevitably lead to longer payback periods on ExxonMobil’s initial outlay for developing the field currently producing oil.
He indicated that the opposition would want to be briefed by the ExxonMobil team before making further announcements.
Harmon summoned the meeting after the oil company reported that it had to reduce production down to about 90,000 barrels per day in order to ensure torching at pilot levels and to allow safe operations.
The disruption to production occurred as the company was monitoring its retrofitted gas compressor which had developed problems earlier in the year and had to be flown to Germany for emergency repairs.
In making the announcement last week on Tuesday, the company said, “… we have reduced production to a minimum level that mitigates hydrate formation in subsea systems, maintains gas and fuel gas injection into the power generators, and reduces flare. ”
To this end, the Leader of the Opposition in a missile last Thursday to ExxonMobil’s top brass asking for the emergency meeting, said, “I receive a number of inquiries from our constituents, civil society and concerned citizens expressing their concern that EEPGL (Esso Exploration and the performance of Production Guyana Limited) since its inception, appear to be well below expectations. “
EEPGL has its majority owner, ExxonMobil Guyana and is the company currently producing crude in the Stabroek Block.
As such, Harmon, in requesting the meeting, noted that the reported malfunction malfunctioning equipment that continues to delay the termination of excessive torching, together with a significant reduction in operations to a minimum level of production, “is of great concern to r Opposition. ”
He had also indicated to the President of ExxonMobil, that the aim of the meeting was to have the opposition briefed on issues including the recent development and root causes of equipment failures resulting in excessive torching and reduced production.
In addition, Harmon has told the President of ExxonMobil, the Opposition is also looking to hear, “your plans – with a timetable – for permanently addressing these root causes, and the economic and short-term and long-term environmental for all Guyana.
The Leader of the Opposition noted a meeting with the ExxonMobil team along with the senior MPs of A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU + AFC) and the Shadow Minister for Oil and Gas.