The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on Friday defended its decision-making on ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase 1 project saying that best practices were observed and no illegality or nefarious objective guided the process.
“The Ministry and GGMC (Guyana Geology and Mines Commission) sought to ensure that in achieving the objective of ‘first oil’ by 2020, overall and international best practices were observed. Though it may be difficult for some to see presently, the nation will, in the near future, realise, and come to know, that no funds were misappropriated and that no illegality or nefarious objective guided our decision-making,” the Ministry said in a statement. ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase 1 project is expected to see Guyana becoming a commercial oil producer in 2020.
In responding to comments on the Development Plan for Liza Phase 1 which, according to the statement, “appear to raise inadvertently or otherwise, the spectre of some sinister motive or corruption in the decision making process,” the MNR defended the process. The statement did not identify the specific comments but last Thursday, Stabroek News reported former Government Adviser on Petroleum Dr Jan Mangal as saying that government should put all approvals for ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase-2 on hold until a complete review of the Liza Phase 1 project cost is done.