Building local content
─ more than 1,700 locals involved in Exxon’s operation as first oil approaches
─ numbers expected to increase as production ramps up
─ Exxon committed to developing local content
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, November 20, 2019
US oil giant ExxonMobil is committed to fostering a long-term relationship with Guyana and its people.
During the opening session of the 2nd Annual Guyana International Petroleum Business Summit and Exhibition (GIPEX 2019), Hunter Farris, the Senior Vice President of Upstream Oil and Gas Deep Water, ExxonMobil, stated that the oil giant is “here to partner with Guyana and its people to develop its oil and gas resources in a responsible and mutually beneficial way.”
Farris remarked that over the next few years, the company plans to develop the local workforce. According to the ExxonMobil executive, “more than 3,400 people in Guyana have worked on in exploration and project activities directly, including more than 1,700 Guyanese.”
Since 2017, Farris remarked, the company’s local workforce has more than tripled as their operations in Guyana continue to build. He highlighted that the oil giant relies on Guyanese suppliers and engages more than 600 vendors and suppliers with an excess of $36Billion (US$80M), in spending and counting.
He explained that this includes people who are currently in training programmes in Singapore, Canada and the United States, or who are already contributing to the company’s local operations.
Farris expressed optimism to be able to contribute to the development of Guyana’s future industry leaders.
In a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs, Deedra Moe said that the company is continuously looking for ways to utilise local companies and expects that it will continue to increase over time.
Dozens of businesses are working with ExxonMobil in various fields. These include supplying rations and a variety of shore-based operations, essential to the oil and gas industry’s operations. The Coalition Government is also finalising a local content policy that will define how companies within the sector are expected to utilise local contents and resources in a variety of ways.