Guyana tells Venezuela: Hands off oil exploration plans
Saturday, 28 February 2015 22:52 – Written by Denis Scott Chabrol– CND
Diagram: The “Liza” field where Exxon Mobil, through its local subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, plans to explore for oil.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested that the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela desist from taking any actions that could only result in the stymying of the development of Guyana and its people and that would be in contravention of international law,” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.
The company plans to invest US$200 million in drilling offshore Guyana in the Liza field, which part of the Stabroek Block. An oil rig, Deep Water Champion, has already left the United States for Guyana where it would begin work in mid-March.
Guyana says it has since informed the 15-nation Caribbean Community (Caricom), Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Organisation of American States, the Commonwealth and the United Nations Secretary General “about this recent action by Venezuela.”
This threat against Exxon is reminiscent of the Venezuelan Navy’s detention of a seismic research vessel, Teknik Perdana, in September 2013 in waters offshore Essequibo that both countries claim as theirs. The vessel had been contracted by a Texas, United States-based company, Anadarko Petroleum, to survey the seabed offshore Essequibo Region for oil.
Guyana maintains that the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award has fully and finally settled the borders between the two countries, but the matter has been referred to the United Nations Secretary General to explore ways of finding a peaceful settlement.
Following is a statement by the Foreign Ministry issued Saturday night.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that consequent upon a communication being sent from the Venezuelan Foreign Minister to the Country Manager of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited objecting to the despatch of a rig to proceed with the exploration of an oil well in the concession granted by the Government of Guyana, the Government of Guyana has despatched a Note Verbale to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested that the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela desist from taking any actions that could only result in the stymying of the development of Guyana and its people and that would be in contravention of international law.
The Ministry has also informed CARICOM, UNASUR, the OAS, the Commonwealth as well as the United Nations Secretary General about this recent action by Venezuela.
Comments
Guyana must have a good reason to tell the Venezuelan govt to back off ..I do not think it is reasonable that any one should be bullied out, of what is right fully theirs . I PRAY FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION.,to the issues surrounding this problem……….like they say a problem does not become a problem, until it becomes a problem………….yes more MOINEY I hope lives would not be lost meaninglessly….,IMPOSSIBLE DREAM………I say NO
Thanks for sharing developments, Cyril.
I had written before asking this Govt. to take Venezuela to the United Nations for land that does not belong to them. Now is the time for Exxon to drill for oil, Venezuela is once again trying to claim lands that do not belong to them. This matter was settled since 1899 by Britain, Venezuela, Russia, USA and a fifth country. Venezuela is greedy and needs sanctioning.
Surely Venezuela has enough oil of its own so does not need to look for more….
It would make sense for both countries to ‘amalgate’ their searches and share
in the development. Cooperation is better than confrontation.
Most of the profits from oil usually ends up in some multinational organisation anyway….viz a viz Trinidad oil industry…or in corrupt individual or company pockets. Once oil is discovered in commercial quantities it would be best
to leave it underground/undersea and develop other sources of energy
like solar wind and wave…..with the ‘security’ guarantee from the oil
to offset the development of alternative sources of energy for the future.
UK s oil industry is on the downward cycle with no newer sources expected
….Falklands war was all about oil…..like so many other conflicts…
will we ever learn ? The greed of the corporate world is insatiable….
My spin
Que Sera Sera
Sir kamtan by appointment to the longest relying monarch HRH QE2 UNELECTED.
This action should have been done earlier. It is riduculus to tie the off shore drilliing to the border dispute directly to be used as an excuse to hamper guyana’s development. De castro is right Venezuela could have let the survey continue and seek a copy of the findings tor possible use, including some sharing of benefits while the border issue is debated. They like surinam elected to be the dog in the manger and seek the shadow in the ocean. This atitude is so dumb that it is hard to justify under any circumstances except stupidity or policitics.
You left out one possible scenario. A US corp. drilling in authorize territory near Venezuela is disrupted by this socialist regime. Gives uncle Sam the excuse He may be looking for to retaliate.
Venezuela rejects accusation of hindering development of Guyana
Posted:
CARACAS, Venezuela — The government of Venezuela said on Tuesday it considers unacceptable and unjust, a statement issued last weekend by the ministry of foreign affairs in Guyana, which claimed that Venezuela is hindering the development of Guyana and it’s people and that would be.. [read more].