Out of 17 firms that submitted a bid, UK-based firm Bayphase Oil and Gas Consultants has won the contract to review the Field Development Plans (FDPs) of oil operators in Guyana.
This was announced yesterday by Head of the Energy Department, Dr. Mark Bynoe.
The official said that the contract was awarded based on the intention of his Department to have all FDPs subjected to scrutiny, inclusive of ExxonMobil’s FDP for the Liza Phase Two Project. At a press conference yesterday, Dr. Bynoe said that the review of the applications for the FDP consultancy job was carried out using the World Bank and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) processes.
He said, “Seventeen firms applied, four were shortlisted, and one company was chosen: Bayphase. Evaluation was conducted by the Department of Energy and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). The process that was used is called CQS-Consultant Qualification Selection. This allowed for the most rapid transparent process and the best firm to be selected…”
Further to this, Dr. Bynoe said that Department employees will work along with Bayphase to ensure the transfer of the requisite skill-sets for that area. As it relates to the concern from some quarters of the media that Bayphase may be under the influence of ExxonMobil, Dr. Bynoe said he is not concerned about this.
The Energy Department Head said it is difficult, or even nearly impossible, to find a firm that is not working for ExxonMobil or has not worked for the US oil giant and its contractors. Dr. Bynoe believes that the company should be given a chance to prove its worth. He also reiterated that the company got the World Bank’s stamp of approval.
ExxonMobil, in particular, has been on the record as saying that it is willing to work along with the Department on the review of any of its FDPs.
