ExxonMobil Guyana has firmly denied claims raised in a recent editorial published in the media which suggested that the oil company might be using an undisclosed portion of crude oil from the Stabroek block in its operations.
The editorial, published today, questioned the transparency of ExxonMobil’s crude oil management and alleged potential collusion between the company and the government.
In a swift response, Exxon clarified that “offshore operations use none of the crude produced in the Stabroek block.” The company emphasized that all crude oil recovered from the block is lifted exclusively for sale by both the Government of Guyana and the co-venturers, with strict monitoring in place. “All crude cargo lifts are overseen by various government agencies, both onshore and offshore, including those assigned to the co-venturers. The idea of secret crude cargos has no basis in reality,” Exxon noted.
The editorial raised concerns about the lack of transparency regarding how much oil ExxonMobil allegedly uses in its production processes. It pointed to the need for clarity on how many barrels of oil are utilized by Exxon in its operations and hinted at the possibility of manipulation in the reporting of these figures. Activist and attorney Melinda Janki, mentioned in the editorial, had also raised similar concerns, pressing for detailed disclosures.
The editorial even criticized both the PPP/C Government and ExxonMobil for what it called “secrecy” in sharing crucial information related to the nation’s oil wealth. It noted that while the government regularly shares data on oil production, gas re-injection, and flaring, it has been silent on how much crude is supposedly used by ExxonMobil in its operations, fueling suspicion of improper practices.
But despite the framed concerns of a lack of transparency between ExxonMobil, its co-venturers, and the Guyana government, Exxon said, “The idea of secret crude is far from reality”.
