Georgetown : The United States (US) Department of Interior through the US Embassy in Guyana is hosting a three-day workshop for stakeholders in the energy and mining industries to address energy governance and capacity. Special attention will be paid to managing the early phases of offshore oil and gas exploration and environmental risk mitigation.
In recognition of Guyana being at the exploration stage of petroleum development and its challenges, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud stated that, “it is useful that we work with countries such as the United States who have had, as one would say, mixed experiences in dealing with the challenges with the development of natural resources.”
The workshop is being held under the theme “Managing the Early Phases of Offshore Oil and Gas” at the Cara Lodge.
“If we look at our laws – we have tried to draw on the best practices of other countries, and we have reviewed other regulations they have had in place so in our context we are not starting from zero, we are starting from a system where it has been tested in a way whereby we have benefited from a lot of local and external expertise and engagements with the companies themselves,” the Minister pointed out.
In his presentation, US Ambassador, Brent Hardt acknowledged that “Guyana’s looming transition to an energy producing nation could offer a critical and transformative juncture in Guyana’s history.”
He recalled that the US had also met a similar historical moment over century ago when, in the 19th century, it extended itself from coast to coast while most of the country remained wild or underdeveloped. The Ambassador was referring to the American gold rush of 1849 which spurred large migration as word of abundant gold strikes drew fortune seekers from across the continent to California, and the search for gold.
He emphasised that Guyana is standing at a key stage in its history, as it surveys promising extraction opportunities, phenomenal timber resources and mineral wealth including gold, diamond, bauxite and manganese while striving to preserve resources for the future and to develop a programme of sustainable growth.
“This resource wealth is now on the verge of being significantly enhanced by the possibility of oil discovery and the likelihood of Guyana transitioning to an energy producing nation,” Ambassador Hardt said.
Having recognised Guyana’s natural beauty and the wilderness, the Ambassador stressed the importance for the country to not only utilise its abundance of natural resources wisely, but also to take steps to ensure it cherishes them, protects the vast water supplies for which Guyana takes its name and preserves the unique rainforests that provide incredible wood.
“Guyana has shown through its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) that this is a challenge it takes seriously… and its on-going efforts to replace mercury in mining will mark another key step to meeting the challenge,” the Ambassador pointed out.
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