Oil and Gas Consultant, Dr. Jan Mangal is of the firm belief that the local authorities made another big mistake by granting the permit for ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase Two Project in the Stabroek Block. Dr. Mangal, who served as advisor to President David Granger, insists that the government ignored yet another opportunity to take ExxonMobil to the table for the renegotiation of the lopsided contract it has with Guyana.
During an exclusive interview with Guyana Standard, Dr. Mangal recalled being one of the few persons calling on the government to delay the approval process.
In light of what has taken place, the Consultant commented, “Yes, I am disappointed that they did otherwise and it is a mistake. For Guyana to negotiate with these oil majors it needs to use the levers at its disposal and approval of these projects is one of the major levers. It is sad to see them not using the tools to get a better outcome for Guyana.”
The Oil and Gas Consultant noted that Guyana is now dancing to ExxonMobil’s tune as hurried approvals work in the company’s favour to rush production.
Dr. Mangal said, “ExxonMobil’s strategy is to rush. They know Guyana is overwhelmed and completely outgunned. It does not want to wait for Guyana to catch its senses. It wants to proceed as fast as possible so the country does not have time to look out for itself…”
Dr. Mangal opined that Guyana can still try to correct issues in the sector going forward. He stressed however that the inept use of its tools only makes the future efforts more difficult.
