The Guyana Court of Appeal yesterday remitted to the High Court an application filed by Ramon Gaskin, who is seeking to challenge the grant of a petroleum production licence to Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd (Hess) and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Ltd (Nexen), which are the partners of the local Exxon subsidiary, as he contends that they have no environmental permits allowing them to engage in oil exploration here.
Gaskin had formerly filed an urgent appeal before the Appeal Court against the February 26th, 2018 judgment of High Court judge Justice Franklyn Holder, who, among other things, had ruled that the three companies constituted a single developer.
As stated in court documents, Gaskin is of the view that the judge exceeded his jurisdiction in so finding, while arguing that such determinations of law and finding of fact, being matters of substance, are to be decided upon in an inter partes hearing.