ExxonMobil announced that on Friday, September 9, 2022, the team on the Liza Unity FPSO observed a sheen on the water in the vicinity of the vessel, which suggested that approximately one barrel of crude oil was released during a maintenance activity on the vessel.
According to the company, they were able to isolate the leak and by midday Saturday, and the light sheen that was perceptible approximately 20 km (13 miles) North West of the vessel was no longer visible.
The company further informed they would continue to monitor the situation and had notified all relevant government agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency.
However, the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) finds the government’s silence on the matter unacceptable.
In a terse statement, CGID said they find it unacceptable that there has been an oil spill in the waters of Guyana, and the PPP government is dead silent. The organisation also finds it disturbing that citizens are informed about the incident from the company, not the government, and neither has there been an “independent verification” of the information.
With Guyanese having to rely on the oil company for information, CGID believes it amounts to the government leaving the company to regulate itself and make public disclosures, which the organisation said is despicable. “It is the height of irresponsibly and grossly incompetence governance.”
Blasting the government further, the US-based institution offered that “the PPP is clearly not worthy to govern the affairs of Guyana,” and has advised that “there should be a warning system to keep the nation informed when these incidents occur.”
In light of what CGID considers to be the government’s failures in properly managing this aspect of the oil and gas sector the institute is demanding “an independent team of experts be immediately mobilised to assess the situation, recommend requisite action and keep the nation apprised to maintain public confidence and trust.”
