Dear Editor,

I APPLAUD the work of Oil & Gas Governance Network (OGGN – a diaspora group) to promote employment opportunities in the sector for local Guyanese and its renewed commitment to work with the government in promoting the industry. While the group has made a case for higher royalty and profit-sharing rates and for increased local content, so that more funds can become available to the government for developmental needs, that has not deterred the body from promoting the industry and trying to get more Guyanese employed in the sector. It says it is committed to working with the government to increase revenues and to create more employment opportunities in the sector.

Guyana is in its infancy in being an oil and gas country. Thus, widespread education about the industry among Guyanese is essential, and OGGN, comprising diasporans, has created some educational materials including a Directory of Jobs in the oil and gas industry, educational videos, infographics, and some articles. There is no comparable site seeking to educate Guyanese about Guyana’s oil and gas. This is admirable and it is indeed commendable that a diasporan group is supportive of Guyana in this area. The group has championed the cause for greater benefits from Exxon.

The groups says that its OGGN Oil and Gas Jobs Directory, www.oggn.org/jobs-resources/, is an introductory attempt to provide information on some major companies operating in Guyana, so citizens may know where to apply for oil-related jobs. The directory gives an overview of what types of jobs are available, brief descriptions of the companies, and the contact information of those companies. The OGGN site is the only place that attempts to pull together the information into a portal.

The educational YouTube videos created by the OGGN can be viewed at www.oggn.org/education/ and cover these topics:
1.      Understanding Guyana’s oil and gas industry: Some basic oil terms to know
2.      What jobs are available from oil and gas, and how can you apply and prepare for oil and gas jobs?
3.      What women, and hinterland and rural residents need to know about opportunities in oil and gas. How to access information on training, education and jobs.
4.      Understanding oil-production costs in Guyana.
5.      Environmental concerns: How flaring of gas, oil spills, and environmental pollution contribute to climate change problems.
6.      A comparison of key aspects of the Guyana 2016 and Suriname 2011 petroleum oil contracts – is Guyana getting a fair deal? “What do we mean by ‘the resource curse’ and how does it apply to Guyana.”
7.      Describing the resource curse and how it applies to Guyana.
8.      The economic dimensions of the resource curse with respect to Guyana.
9.      The political dimensions of the resource curse with respect to Guyana.
The videos are 5-7 minutes each and are very user friendly and informative, as introduction to these basic oil and gas topics. The educational materials are useful for schoolchildren and college students looking for quick, basic information on oil and gas pertaining to the Guyana context.

The “Infographics” created by OGGN, found at www.oggn.org/education, are a collection of imagery, charts, and minimal text that gives an easy-to-understand, visual, user friendly overview of a topic. The topics include:
1.      A map of the Guyana oil blocks with information about how much oil has been discovered in a particular block. Also, it links to the respective PSA or Prospecting Licence if available.
2.      A timeline graph of when the various oil contracts were signed, their renewal and expiry.
3.       Bar and pie charts comparing the Suriname and Guyana oil contracts.
4.      Graphics showing which oil-producing countries have the ability to regulate the amount of oil being produced versus which do not.
5.      Geographic location of oil blocks and wells including explored wells, producing wells, approved wells, abandoned wells, etc., with links to any Field Development Plans and EPA approvals.

Some articles created for the educational project (see www.oggn.org), include the following:
1.      Article explaining, “How much taxes should Exxon and the oil companies have paid?”
2.      Article summarising, “Which of Guyana’s laws may have been violated by the Stabroek Block Contract.”
3.      Article explains why it is “Time for Guyana to consider hedging as oil prices recover.”
The group’s contributions are laudable. I thank diasporans in the OGGN for their contribution towards oil and gas education in Guyana.

Yours sincerely,
Dr. Vishnu Bisram