In the past six years, the Venezuelan Navy has interrupted the work of oil operators operating offshore Guyana on two occasions.
In October 2013, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, which has an exploration license for the Roraima block offshore Guyana had a research vessel MV Teknik Perdana, conducting a geophysical survey on its behalf. But it was ordered out of Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone by the Venezuelan Navy and escorted to the island of Margarita. The Research vessel had at least five US citizens onboard. Since that incident, Anadarko did not resume exploration activities.
On December 2018, USA oil giant, ExxonMobil, was forced to pause its 3-D seismic operations on the Stabroek Block following an incursion by the Venezuelan military.
The unfortunate reality exposed in the foregoing examples in that Guyana being a small military state, could not, and still can’t do much in such circumstances. But Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge is nonetheless optimistic that Venezuela’s “hostile behaviour will be tamed quite soon.”
During an exclusive interview with the Guyana Standard, Greenidge said that the Spanish speaking state cannot deny Guyana its rights forever.
Greenidge said, “Venezuela has a military, a navy in particular a navy that is bigger than most in the region and if they care to be reckless they can damage almost any operation on these shelves This is what has made attracting companies difficult and it is what has made and has caused companies, because of the risk of interception, seizure by foreign hostile forces, saying that they need to be compensated or given more generous terms notwithstanding what some experts on the front pages of newspapers say.”
The Minister added, “…We don’t have the military capacity but as a member of the international community and the United Nations, we have rights. And we have taken to the UN where this is concerned. Venezuela cannot behave as though it can deny us our rights forever. There is an international community and there are rules and regulations.”
With American oil giant ExxonMobil working offshore, there have been talks of Guyana receiving some level of protection should there be any aggression from Venezuela.
In addressing this perception, Greenidge made it clear that the USA’s job is not to be available or on call to states involved in border disputes.
He said, “Yes they have an interest offshore Guyana but if they are willing to assist then I am sure we would be willing to engage them. But we are not about to trigger a military incident.”
The Guyana Standard also asked Greenidge to speak on the way forward regarding the incursion by the Venezuelan military which forced ExxonMobil to pause its 3-D seismic operations.
The Minister said, “We haven’t considered that matter that way but what we have done is to have gone to the international community and draw to their attention that you have a state that is behaving in defiance of international law and treaties they have signed.”
Greenidge said, too, that there have not been talks between the Government and Exxon on “beefing up security measures offshore Guyana.”
“If a commercial company is operating out there they cat beef up security to a point that it could handle the navy that is the size of Venezuela,” expressed the Minister. He said that protection lies in dealing with the neighbours and the United Nations.
