The former EPA head supports the concept but warns that without a serious feasibility study, a clear written plan, and an honest accounting of Guyana’s oil share, the refinery push risks becoming another poorly planned venture.
By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
Former Environmental Protection Agency head Dr. Vincent Adams has voiced support for President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s push to establish a local oil refinery, but has made clear he believes the time for open-ended public discussion is over — and that the government must now put a rigorous plan on paper before committing the country to such a significant investment.
Adams said that if Guyana is to pursue refining locally, it would almost certainly have to begin with a smaller, modular facility rather than a large-scale conventional refinery. He argued that a major refinery would carry a multi-billion-dollar price tag and is likely impractical given the limited volume of oil Guyana directly controls and the inherent production profile of individual offshore projects, which decline over time even as the sector as a whole continues to grow.
“Don’t just take it to Crab Island because Crab Island is in Region Six, or don’t just take it to Trinidad because of some political reason, or to the Dominican Republic because somebody’s getting a kickback or something. Put it on paper.”— Dr. Vincent Adams, Former Head, Environmental Protection Agency
Adams’ call for scale and caution broadly aligns with the government’s own publicly stated position. Since 2022, the administration has pursued a privately owned and financed modular refinery with a capacity of approximately 30,000 barrels per day at Crab Island, in Region Six, at the mouth of the Berbice River. Nine proposals were received in response to a formal Request for Proposals, and the field was subsequently narrowed to four, then five, shortlisted groups — including one from the Dominican Republic following a Memorandum of Understanding signed between President Ali and his Dominican counterpart, President Luis Abinader.
Refinery timeline at a glance
2022 — Government issues Request for Proposals for a 30,000 bpd modular refinery at Crab Island, Region Six.
2023 — Nine bids received; shortlisted to four contenders. President Ali signs MoU with Dominican Republic for a potential 50,000 bpd facility with a 51% DR stake.
Early 2024 — Field narrowed to five interest groups. VP Jagdeo notes some divergence from agreed parameters. Government simultaneously exploring strategic fuel reserves as an alternative.
February 2025 — US-based Curlew Midstream presents a 30,000 bpd proposal at Guyana’s Energy Conference. No investor has been selected as of the time of this report.
A central element of Adams’ critique was the question of feedstock. He argued that Guyana’s practical control over its own oil output is more constrained than headline production figures suggest, contending that the country’s effective share of oil lifted from the Stabroek Block is relatively small — a factor that must drive any realistic assessment of refinery scale and viability.
Adams also raised concern about what he described as the absence of a clearly defined national energy plan. He argued that too many consequential decisions in the oil sector are being debated in the public domain without the technical groundwork that should underpin them, and warned that Guyana cannot afford to repeat the pattern of projects that proceeded without adequate planning.
“We could only control what we get, which is a small amount. That reality must be factored into any long-term refinery decision.”— Dr. Vincent Adams, Former Head, Environmental Protection Agency
He further noted that while Guyana’s aggregate oil production continues to rise — with the Stabroek Block now producing around 900,000 barrels per day and on track to exceed one million — individual project output follows a decline curve, a reality that complicates long-range planning for a refinery dependent on a stable feedstock supply from Guyana’s profit oil share.
Adams’ remarks come as the refinery question remains unresolved after more than three years of public discussion, with no investor yet selected and the government simultaneously weighing strategic fuel reserves as an alternative approach to energy security.
