— Department of Energy director

THE Department of Energy (DoE) within the Ministry of The Presidency, on September 27, 2019, hosted an oil and gas forum at the National Culture Centre, under the theme ‘Guyana’s Future in Oil’.

The programme was facilitated to engage youths from various schools across Regions Three and Four, equipping them with the knowledge on the current status of the oil and gas sector and the trajectory of the sector in the near future.

Director at the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe, at the event said that this is a very historic moment in Guyana’s existence in that the country is now poised to see a shift in not only the way the it deals with its resources, but also of the country and it’s socioeconomic status.

“The Cooperative Republic of Guyana as a new and emerging energy producer, finds itself in a crucial and unprecedented position in the country’s history for sustained economic growth and development that can benefit both current and future generations.

“However to take advantage of this opportunity, optimisation of the net benefits from the national patrimony is essential [and] fostered inter alia, by the creation and enforcement of the requisite regulatory frameworks, increased human capacity built and sustained for the oil and gas and other sectors and for robust standards, procedures and instituted to maximise the benefits of the oil process,” said Dr. Bynoe.

He further went on to say that with over 1300 Guyanese already employed in the oil and gas sector and an additional 25 currently being trained to take up positions on the Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Liza Destiny, the oil and gas sector is set to be one of the largest fields for employment within the society.

He however reminded the attendees that, they must broaden their horizons and not just focus on holding certain jobs within the newly-growing sector. He told them that they have the tool at their disposal that they could use to ensure that they learn and grasp all that they can to take up positions in the sector.

“As students, as young adults, as persons who are interested in the sector, seek to research as wide a field as possible. Keep yourself fully abreast, of developments…training and competency building, and certification standards enhancements.”

“It is not about how bright you are. It is important that as people in this country we stop thinking just about what oil and gas can bring for me and start thinking about how I can contribute toward the economic development and welfare of this country.

We must be able to foster greater infrastructural development and have a collective vision of where we want to go as a nation we should allow for a greater proportion of Guyanese benefitting directly and indirectly form the oil and gas sector, the revenues derived there from,” Dr. Bynoe said.

He admonished that citizens have to come together to ensure continued sustainability of the oil and gas sector, to ensure that nothing divides them as they try to foster a way for Guyana to finally achieve its potential, not just for the benefit of themselves, but for the benefit of every Guyanese person.

“You are in a pristine position but you will not just get there just because you are Guyanese, you will not just get there because you are entitled, you will get there based on what investments are made today for the future. But all of this will pale in significance unless we appreciate and live together as a nation, not judging each other or distributing the proceeds from the oil and gas based on the colour of our skin, the texture of our hair, or our political affiliation, but based on the fact that we are all Guyanese,” he said.