REMINDING that oil and gas development must be leveraged to promote sustainable development in education, health and other key services, President Dr Irfaan Ali has said Guyana is positioning itself as a global model on how an emerging oil-producing nation can harness petroleum wealth while strengthening environmental stewardship, public services, and institutional stability.
Speaking on the country’s development trajectory earlier this week during an engagement with ExxonMobil executives, the Head of State framed oil and gas as a catalyst for a broader national transformation encompassing climate services, education, health care, and technology-driven governance.
“We want to showcase to the world a development in oil and gas that is strategic in every form. One that is balanced, one that takes the environment with it in its growth and development, one that celebrates the environment in which it operates, one in which the transformational goals of the country are realised through the revenue from the sector, and one in which the sector grows out of other aspects of the economy that are critical for sustainability, which are climate services, environmental services, educational services, health services [and]technological services,” he said.
The president said the government’s objective is to ensure that the sector drives sustainable growth beyond hydrocarbons, embedding environmental and social considerations into economic expansion.
In positioning Guyana as a model for responsible resource development, Dr. Ali underscored the importance of governance, predictability, and investor confidence. He noted that stability and adherence to the rule of law are essential to managing a rapidly expanding petroleum sector.
“It requires strong leadership. It requires focused leadership. It also requires trust. You know, you cannot manage a sector like this if there is no trust.”
He added: “This is a stable environment…here is where the rule of law applies, and here is where your investment is safe, sound and protected, and that is how it will always be.”
Central to that strategy is the Government’s relationship with US oil major ExxonMobil, the lead operator in Guyana’s offshore Stabroek Block. The President made clear that the partnership remains fundamental to the country’s energy ambitions.
“I want to make it very clear, and I am unapologetic about this. Exxon is our partner, and we have to work and confront the opportunities of the future as partners. There is no way we are separating ourselves from each other.”
“We want to continue to build this trust. And no better way than to have the board, the entire structure, super structure, of Exxon here in country,” he added.
Beyond crude production, Dr. Ali pointed to natural gas development as the next phase in deepening economic impact and expanding regional opportunity. He indicated that additional gas infrastructure could come on stream before the end of the decade.
“…by 2030 or before 2030 we can have our second gas project in Berbice online and ready to deliver opportunities for the people of Guyana and the people of this region,” the President said.
Just last week, the country hosted its fifth Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo, bringing together regional and international industry leaders for the premier energy forum centred on innovation, collaboration, and sustainable development.
Under the theme “Building Tomorrow’s Future Today,” the conference attracted participation from companies representing 32 countries, reaffirming Guyana’s expanding role in the global energy landscape.
