THE flaring of gas offshore Guyana by ExxonMobil has become a matter of deep and growing concern for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Guianas, since this contradicts Guyana’s efforts at being a low-carbon space.

On Friday, ExxonMobil said it was forced to increase the amount of gas that it is flaring from the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, the Liza Destiny. This vessel is operating in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, offshore. The company explained that this move to increase flaring is due to a technical problem with the seal on the gas compressor aboard the vessel anchored more than 100 miles off the coast of Guyana. On Saturday, WWF Guianas registered its strong displeasure via a statement issued to the media.

The body lamented that recommencement of flaring defied the company’s global commitment to reduce flaring by about 20 per cent in 2020. Further, WWF stated, “EEPGL (Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil) is undercutting Guyana’s “green image” making it more difficult for the country to promote and build a sustainable, low carbon economy.”

The organisation also lamented the lack of or limited disclosure of information from ExxonMobil. In a brief statement, President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, had said, “we are disappointed that this unexpected issue has occurred and we’re working diligently with the vessel’s owner and the equipment vendor to understand and fix the issue as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, Director of WWF Guianas, Dr. David Singh said pointedly, “The burden of responsibility falls squarely on ExxonMobil. We look forward to the company being held accountable for this development.”

WWF Guianas advocated for a review of future developments of the company’s oil expansion programme, in light of this recent gas flaring development and the way it was disclosed.