Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed today that the country’s National Gas Strategy will encompass a comprehensive examination of key areas, including the potential for a joint venture with neighboring Suriname. Highlighting the government’s dedication to refining the strategy, he emphasized the awareness of Suriname’s gas field discoveries and expressed interest in exploring collaborative development opportunities. This aligns with the government’s broader objective of assessing the monetization of resources beyond the Liza field within the esteemed Stabroek Block.
Back in March, Jagdeo revealed that the completion of the National Gas Strategy, which will outline the utilization of gas resources, is scheduled for the end of the year. To ensure meticulous refinement, the government will be enlisting the expertise of professionals from India. Additionally, he addressed the misconception that a National Gas Strategy is a prerequisite for advancing the Gas-to-Energy project, noting that his administration had already outlined plans to transport 50 million standard cubic feet of gas from the Liza 1 and 2 developments through a pipeline to onshore facilities located at the Wales development zone. These facilities will employ a portion of the gas for electricity generation while utilizing the remainder to foster the growth of the nation’s petrochemicals industry.
Furthermore, during his conference today, Jagdeo highlighted the government’s scrutiny of the economic viability of each facet. Ongoing discussions he said, centre around the comprehensive utilization of the Gas-to-Energy pipeline, which has the potential to bring an additional 70 to 80 million standard cubic feet of gas per day ashore. The specific applications for these supplementary resources will be outlined in a Gas Utilization Study conducted by ExxonMobil.
Jagdeo also emphasized the versatile uses of gas. For instance, he pointed out that when the gas is processed locally, it can yield propane, which the government can then sell as liquid. Furthermore, he said the gas holds potential applications in fertilizer production and cosmetics.
Under the Wales gas-to-energy project, the government aims to construct a 300-megawatt combined cycle power plant and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility. Both the NGL facility and the gas-powered plant will be interconnected with a pipeline that receives gas from the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessels. The construction of this pipeline is being undertaken by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), an affiliate of ExxonMobil.
