The Ministry of Natural Resources today issued the following statement:
The Ministry of Natural Resources notes an article in the UK Guardian of March 22, 2018 under the headline ‘Guyanese campaigners mount legal challenge against three oil giants’.
Firstly, the Government of Guyana wishes to emphatically reaffirm that it zealously guards and defends the right of every citizen to seek recourse in law in pursuit of interests they believe to be worthy. Equally the Government of Guyana is certain, as it is confident, that every action it took with regard to the issuance of the petroleum production license met all legal requirements.
The Government of Guyana is prepared and willing to present all facts in this regard to any court with jurisdiction.
The Ministry of Natural Resources notes that this sort of action is not unusual in emerging oil economies, particularly during the stage leading up to first oil at which Guyana currently is. The Ministry is satisfied that its partners engaged in exploration and preparation for production are taking every precaution in ensuring that there is minimal effect to the environment and that they are diligently putting systems in place to guard against any spills or mishaps.
The Ministry further assures all Guyanese, and the world at large, that it will continue to engage its partners – ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC Nexen – in ensuring that the interest of Guyana’s waters and environment remain top priorities as we pursue exploitation of Guyana’s natural resources with a view to fast track Guyana’s social, infrastructural and economic development.
The Ministry calls on all Guyanese to remain vigilant and interested in ensuring that Guyana’s patrimony, in every regard, is protected and also to act in the best interest of the future development of this generation and generations to follow. No longer must Guyana be indefinitely consigned to third world status and its people languish in less than desirable circumstances. We must join forces, as a nation, to ensure that every Guyanese enjoys the good life by the dint of hard work and the responsible exploitation of our nation’s God given resources.
