AHEAD of Guyana’s ascension into the oil and gas arena, the country could be air-linked with the “big boys” in the industry at Houston, Texas, where primary focus is on the energy industry, particularly oil.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, mulled the idea of establishing the air link with the oil capital of the US, during a panel discussion on oil-and-gas development in Guyana hosted by Rice University’s Baker Institute on Tuesday.
“In three years, visitor arrivals have increased tremendously and Houston seems like [a] suitable partner to increase air lift…you want to get to Guyana in the shortest possible time, so the priority should be to establish an air link between Guyana and Houston”, said Minister Patterson.

His notion was supported by Managing-Director of the Caribbean, Schlumberger, Sean Herrera.
Persons travelling to Guyana would usually have to travel to New York then come or transit another Caribbean country to get here.

The minister noted Guyana, “is prepared for the jump” since the Cheddi Jagan International Airport is being expanded and will be completed in a “couple of days.” He added, “The runway was expanded to 10,700 feet, which means that Guyana can take any class of commercial airline.”

He also indicated that Guyana is in the process of upgrading to establish its second international airport, Lethem, on the border of Guyana and Brazil.
“We want people to use Guyana as a jumping-off point to get to the north…We are in the process of upgrading that airport to a regional and international hub”, explained the minister. He further added that Guyana is now 66 per cent compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulations.

In the light of Guyana’s advancement and the growing interest in its fortunes, Patterson indicated that consideration for the establishment of a business development counsel in Houston, is underway.
His sentiments were echoed by Chief Executive Officer of Go-Invest, Owen Verwey.

The interest in Guyana has become overwhelming, he said, noting that Guyana has a great opportunity to start looking at establishing consulate in Houston. The metropolitan area comprises the largest concentration of petrochemical manufacturing in the world, including for synthetic rubber, insecticides, and fertilizers.

International interest in Guyana peaked, after ExxonMobil revealed the country’s oil-and-gas prospects. First production from the offshore Liza field is expected in 2020, and full development could yield 500,000 barrels per day.

With billions of dollars in expected annual oil revenues, Guyana will have the opportunity to spur substantial economic and social development.