With the colossal oil finds offshore Guyana, Head of the Energy Department, Dr. Mark Bynoe has cautioned that it will be incumbent on oil companies to develop risk management systems that reduce impacts on the nation’s environment and marine life.
The official made this utterance at a recently held conference which focused on enhancing offshore exploration and production regional capacity as well as operational and environmental safeguards.
At the event which was held at the Marriott Hotel, Dr. Bynoe noted that Guyana’s oil and gas industry, while still in its infancy stage, is truly on an upward trajectory. Be that as it may, the official said that drilling and development operations are occurring in a diverse range of habitats and ecosystems. If not managed effectively, Dr. Bynoe said that these operations have the potential to place significant pressures on Guyana’s marine and coastal environments and inhabitants. The official noted that regional implications are also at play.
While there are both international and national regulations regarding best practices, the Director said that many of the risks the oil companies will face are site-specific, requiring detailed background research and precautionary measures that cannot be solved using a generalized framework.
It is within this context that Dr. Bynoe noted that oil and gas companies must develop and inculcate a risk management system and ethos, and operational practices to minimize harmful environmental impacts and incidents. He noted that this can be achieved through embedding environmental concerns into all aspects of daily operations and utilizing the most appropriate technology to avoid potential disasters and the implementation of more stringent legislation.
The official further stated that the Department of Energy is therefore pleased to be supporting the conference while emphasizing the need for technological advances in subsea well control as the industry in Guyana pursues deeper offshore wells.
