Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI) has clinched an 11-year extension contract with Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), an ExxonMobil affiliate for the provision of shore base management and operations services, a release from GYSBI yesterday said.
According to the release, GYSBI invested over US$300M towards port infrastructure, real estate development, warehousing and support services; has recruited, trained and certified more than 1000 Guyanese for key operational positions within the industry and beyond through its affiliates; catalysed greater than USD$500M in investment in the Houston/McDoom, East Bank Demerara corridor by providing the enabling infrastructure and creating the first oil and gas activity hub in Guyana that also generated direct and indirect employment for more than 2000 persons. The release said that in 2017 the company signed a contract for eight acres, two berths and one warehouse. Today, it stands at 170 acres, 8 warehouses and four berths, with further expansions planned. While it started with five employees, GYSBI today has a workforce of 616 persons, 95 percent of whom as Guyanese.
GYSBI’s release stated that at an event was held on Saturday, July 16 to commemorate the achievement, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, lauded the new contract and noted that GYSBI is a prime example of what is possible for Guyanese businesses in the country’s relatively new oil and gas sector.
“Let me congratulate and commend GYSBI and ExxonMobil Guyana…We are happy to be here to see this signing… and seeing another Guyanese company taking a big stride in the oil and gas sector and putting Guyana on the map…” the release quoted Bharrat as saying.
Meanwhile, the release quoted Robin Muneshwer, Executive Director of GYSBI, as saying that the contract extension builds on five years of continuous investment, hard work, training and development of local capacity to create a world-class facility that meets the specialised needs of the oil and gas industry.
“The first five years… were quite challenging but ExxonMobil was a true partner in all of this. They worked with us as we developed because we were starting from scratch in a country that had no oil and gas experience or infrastructure. As we developed, ExxonMobil raised the bar, and this is where we are at right now.
“What we have developed at GYSBI is something we are extremely proud of. Our safety record is unparalleled, we have just celebrated two years LTI (Lost Time Injury) free. Our operational record is excellent… ExxonMobil has shown a lot of trust and faith in us and worked with us,” Muneshwer said, according to the release.
Hayley Gilbert, ExxonMobil Guyana’s Logistics Manager said that GYSBI services are crucial to the company’s day-to-day operations. “I have personally seen the transformation across GYBSI and I can only imagine what we can accomplish together over the next eleven years. When you are part of such a significant development on the onset, as GYSBI has been with ExxonMobil in Guyana, having continuity and sustainable business has been critical to be able to deliver the achievements that we have seen. ExxonMobil Guyana is proud to be associated with a company that continues to maintain a high standard of health, safety and operational efficiency,” she shared. Gilbert also highlighted that GYSBI remains critical as ExxonMobil Guyana advances its plans to responsibly develop Guyana’s oil and gas resources.
“The signing of a decade plus agreement shows the long-term commitment between two business partners. Our relationship has grown over the years as GYSBI has been our conduit from the onshore to the offshore operations, a logistics hub, providing us with world class services including drilling and production operations support, waste management and storage. As the demand for support services grew, it was clear that the expansion was necessary and GYSBI has responded to grow the multi- user facility that we see today, supporting the specialised needs of the oil and gas sector here in Guyana,” Gilbert said.
According to the release, the new contract will expire in 2033. The new contract also builds on the previous one, which was awarded to the company in 2017 and expires in August 2022.
ExxonMobil currently has two oil-producing platforms in the Atlantic and two more are under construction.
GYSBI was formed in 2017 by Muneshwer’s Limited, TOTALTEC Oilfield Services, Pacific Rim Constructors and LED Offshore Limited.
