The Petroleum Commission of Guyana Bill 2017 – the legal architecture for the Petroleum Commission of Guyana – is set to be taken to a Special Select Committee following its tabling in the National Assembly, the Ministry of Natural Resources announced on Monday.
The Bill, which was the subject of consultation for a number of months, will be laid in the National Assembly on Thursday by Minister of Natural Resources. It is expected that the Bill – the first in a raft of newly developed legislation for the oil and gas sector will undergo further scrutiny and refining during a period in the Special Select Committee. It has already undergone a number of changes following consultations with various stakeholders.
According to the ministry the Bill has 51 Clauses and will create the Petroleum Commission that will have the responsibility of monitoring and ensuring compliance with the policies, laws and agreements for petroleum operations. It will also, inter alia, be responsible for ensuring compliance with health, safety and environmental standards and ensure local content and local participation in all of the activities.
The Petroleum Commission will also have an advisory role to the Minister on matters related to the conduct of the industry and will be managed by a Board of Directors that will comprise experts in various fields as well as representatives of civil society and the parliamentary opposition. The Commission will also ensure that it accesses the necessary research into the industry so as not to be reliant purely on data that the petroleum operators provide. The Ministry of Natural Resources expects that the Select Committee process will be completed, and the Bill passed into law, before the annual recess commences in August 2017.
Government last month appointed Dr. Jan Mangal, an expert in offshore and civil engineering, as Petroleum Advisor in the Ministry of the Presidency. A Guyanese by birth, Dr. Mangal brings with him a wealth of technical expertise and experiences in the area of oil and gas development. Dr. Mangal said that he will be looking at the issue of energy-generation in a holistic manner in keeping with the country’s ‘green agenda’. “It’s not only the power sector and the green agenda but, it’s also about infrastructure, the revenue from the petroleum and the needs of the sector as whole… The power sector in Guyana also needs to be looked at in terms of how natural gas can be used, instead of diesel or whatever is being used right now,” he said.
He said that his first task will be to engage with officials of Exxon Mobil at its Guyana location, as well as at its Houston, Texas operations, where he is based, to get a full understanding of their development plans and try to match that with the country’s objectives. He will be helping with the Ministry of Natural Resources with its work with other companies that are engaged in offshore drilling in Guyana.

Dr. Mangal has a Doctorate in Offshore Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Edinburg. He has been working in marine and oil and gas industries for the past 18 years in various parts of the world, including the United States, West Africa, and the Philippines.