Dr Clive Thomas

Introduction Today’s column wraps-up my interrogation cum discussion of the mis-representations, deceptions, and fake news hurled at Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector.

Introduction Today’s column continues my rather extended interrogation cum discussion (over the  past several weeks) of the plethora of mis-representations, deceptions, and plain fake news put out ceaselessly in the social and print media by the local and external purveyors of noise and nonsense directed at Guyana’s emergent oil and gas sector.

Introduction Today’s column continues my rather extended interrogation cum discussion (over the  past several weeks) of the plethora of mis-representations, deceptions, and plain fake news put out ceaselessly in the social and print media by the local and external purveyors of noise and nonsense directed at Guyana’s emergent oil and gas sector.

Introduction Thus far I have introduced two major metrics in order to illustrate my thesis that the noise and nonsense mis-informers in the social and print media have colluded and connived in generating fake misrepresentations and dated dogma (from four decades ago), in order to portray a relentlessly demoralizing, paralyzing and retrogressive economic narrative of Guyana’s coming time of oil and gas production and sale.

Introduction As observed last week, eight of the world’s top ten producers of barrels of oil per day are National Oil Companies, NOCs.

Introduction As a social scientist, I have observed, in recent years the unprecedented rise at a global existential level of some of the scariest social phenomena I have ever encountered.

Introduction After seven consecutive weeks, today’s column draws to a close my rather extended (albeit selective) excursion into this year’s National Budget and its treatment of the country’s emergent oil and gas sector.

Introduction As indicated last week, due to limited space in that column, I start today’s with the promised presentation of a listing of the valuation criteria used by the Guyana Authorities to inform their decision about the site  of the proposed natural gas power plant and related facilities at Wales.

Introduction As indicated last week, today’s column starts with referencing the five studies on Guyana’s energy  mix, which were undertaken on behalf of the previous government.

Introduction Today’s column starts my review of the Government of Guyana’s, GoG’s, natural gas to shore proposal, as prioritized in the 2021 National Budget.

Introduction The 2021 National Budget identifies a successful local content policy, LCP, as required for converting projected petroleum windfall revenues into sustained economic differentiation and growth; combined with economic diversification and development.

Introduction Today’s discussion addresses the notion of Dutch Disease. This is put forward in the 2021 National Budget as the most dangerous pitfall the Authorities will have to navigate as the country pursues economic growth and development with macroeconomic balance.

Introduction – Core Objectives As modern national budgets tend to do, Guyana’s 2021 Budget identifies upfront six core objectives, which it sets about to achieve.

Introduction As indicated last week, starting with today’s column, I shift focus away from offering readers data and analytics rooted in instructional guidance on the political economy of Guyana’s emerging oil and gas.

Introduction Today’s column offers a few general reflections on the experiences of the 2020 crisis and its impact on Guyana’s newly established petroleum sector, now that we are into Q2, 2021 and, temporally at   least, that year is firmly in the rear-view mirror.

Introduction Thus far I have argued that the 2020 crisis delivered a huge setback to Guyana’s forecasted 86% GDP growth rate modeled by the IMF for that year, in Q4 2019.

Introduction Today’s column recaps the details, which inform my strongly bullish outlook on Guyana’s truly world class hydrocarbons potential.

Introduction Last week’s column explained the enigma of, on the one hand, repeated striking downward revisions to Guyana’s expected real GDP growth for 2020 (initially set at 85% by the IMF and Government of Guyana, GoG in Q4, 2019).

Introduction As the above title suggests, today’s column indicates a substantive shift in focus away from the “infant state” of Guyana’s oil and gas sector (even though this still remains the case) towards its evolving profile in coming decades.

Introduction My long-standing recommendation to establish a National Oil Company, NOC, intentionally rejects the notion of linking this policy recommendation with the establishment of a state-owned (or joint venture, state-private) downstream “oil refinery”.