Guyana’s best days are ahead – says Director of Energy

– G-Boats Incorporated opens office in Georgetown

– Opening of G-Boats demonstration of oil and gas benefits – Director of Energy

– More than 60 Guyanese already employed with 10 vessels servicing oil and gas industry

– Company aiming for 100 per cent local content

DPI, Guyana, Friday, November 2, 2018

Edison Chouest Offshore officially opened its office in Guyana this evening under the name G-Boats Incorporated. More than sixty Guyanese are employed with the company whose vessels supplies the operations of ExxonMobil and its partners offshore.

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, and Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe officially opened the office located on the corners of Quamina and Carmichael Streets, Georgetown.

Daniel LaFont, Business Development Manager for Edison Chouest Offshore.

Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe [centre], Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, President of the GCCI, Deodat Indar, Business Development Manager for Edison Chouest, Daniel LaFont, and others officially open G-Boats office in Guyana.

Dr Bynoe, in his keynote address, noted that better days are ahead for Guyana.

“Occasions like these continue to demonstrate the positive strides the country is making as a place for doing business, investors’ confidence and emphasising that the benefits from the oil and gas sector will redound to Guyana and Guyanese,” Dr Bynoe said.

G-Boats was incorporated in Guyana since January 2016. Daniel LaFont, Business Development Manager for Edison Chouest Offshore, said that he is extremely pleased to be working in Guyana.

La Font noted that already more some 67 Guyanese are employed in entry-level positions on vessels as riggers, cooks and oilers with the opportunity for advancement. There are 10 boats working under the G-Boats name.

There are two Guyanese serving as first mates, positions just below the Captain. Three persons are working in the newly opened office and the company is looking for three more individuals to work in the office, LaFont noted.

“We are training them to move up … to higher positions. More drilling rigs means more employment,” LaFont noted.

President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Deodat Indar, noted that the introduction of G-Boats signals intent in the transferral of the safety and standard of operation to other industries. He also commended the use of local content.

“I’m happy to know that the population of ships … means more jobs for Guyanese and more offshoot of services of services that will be provided by Guyanese,” Indar said.

Edison Chouest, a Louisiana, USA mom and pop company, was birthed 58 years ago. Today, the company has more than 200 vessels worldwide including offices in Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago and employed some 10,000 persons.

Tiffny Rhodius.

Images by Keno George.