Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI) announced on Friday that it has achieved a milestone of 250 days free of Loss Time Injuries (LTIs) as well as the delivery and placement of 1,000,000cm3 of sand on the site at Wales, West Bank Demerara, which is being prepared for the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project.
LTI refers to an injury sustained on the job by an employee, which results in the loss of productive work time. Lost time injuries encompass both temporary injuries that keep the employee away from work for a day as well as permanent disabilities and conditions that prevent the employee from ever returning to the job or performing their regular work tasks.
GYSBI was contracted by LINDSAYCA CH4 (which was hired by the Government of Guyana for the construction of an integrated Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) extraction plant and the establishment of a 300 MW power generation facility) to execute Earth, Soil Remediation and Surcharge works at the site. Physical works commenced on August 31, 2023, with the last stage of the contract expected to be completed by the end of this month.
Prior to this engagement with LINDSAYCA CH4, GYSBI was contracted by ExxonMobil Guyana to execute the Early Works and Heavy Haul Road at the site. This included the construction of five bridges, an access road, a heavy haul road, and the initial site preparation for the Integrated Plant Site.
In brief remarks at a simple ceremony to mark the achievement, Executive Director of GYSBI, Robin Muneshwer said that the work the company has been doing at the site is nothing short of remarkable.
“It started when we won the Early Works project with Exxon. It was a small project at the time, and it was in the middle of the jungle. We won the Heavy Haul Road project and then migrated to the LINDSAYCA CH4 project, which we are at now. I am blown away by what we have been able to achieve in the middle of nowhere. To achieve this record in safety in this harsh territory is quite a feat. Importantly, this 250 days LTIs free is only for the LINDSAYCA Project. This does not include those works that we did for ExxonMobil earlier on,” he related.
On the logistics side, Muneshwer indicated that due to the distance and location of the project, moving materials such as sand, proved to be a challenge. However, the company was able to work around these challenges and has now transported and placed over 1,000,000cm3 sand at the site.
While he acknowledged the work that has been done so far, the Executive Director noted that it is even more important that the workers and all Guyanese alike see the bigger picture and realize the value of the project, which aims to provide reliable and cheaper electricity to citizens.
“The significance of this project cannot be overstated in national terms because power has been one of the issues that has been plaguing Guyana for many decades. It has plagued businesses; we do not have cheap sources of power for manufacturing, etc. So, this project is the absolute game changer for Guyana. When we start generating power, transmitting, and distributing it, that is when this country is really going to move ahead in a significant way. Everyone should feel proud to be involved in such a project. This is what you will be passing on to your kids and grandkids and you can tell them that you played a part in this project,” he related.
Almir Dapo, Construction Manager for the Project, echoed similar sentiments as he reminisced on the challenges that were encountered in accessing the site and commencing the preparatory works.
“I am happy that we are here to celebrate something that is huge in numbers. We started here in 2022 with Exxon and I remember it was a very small team building the roads, etc. For us back then, we were coming to an empty area filled with forest. There were no roads or bridges. Today, we have built the bridges, roads and now self discharging barges are coming here every day to deliver sand. [This achievement] took a lot of trucks, movements, day shifts and night shifts,” he said.
Project Manager at the site, Evgenii Angarskii shared that more than 200 pieces of equipment operate at the site. The equipment is complemented by 250 staff members, who are directly employed with GYSBI. With the inclusion of third-party contractors and service providers, the site sees more than 400 persons every day.
ABOUT GYSBI
GYSBI is a Guyanese owned company, which was formed in 2017 to provide shore base services to ExxonMobil, following the discovery of oil. Throughout the past six years, GYSBI has continuously expanded to cater to the needs of the industry. It now serves as the preferred onshore support hub for oil and gas operators in Guyana, providing services ranging from vessels management, waste management and warehousing solutions to construction services and supply chain management.
Today, GYSBI boasts four berths, a 30 acres waterfront area, a large industrial estate, which has been developed to suit a myriad of needs and 850 employees, 95 percent of whom are Guyanese citizens.
