By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Former Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and petroleum engineer Dr. Vincent Adams has issued a scathing critique of the Irfaan Ali administration’s governance of Guyana’s offshore oil and gas sector.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Nightly News, Dr. Adams accused the government of dismantling crucial capacity-building and oversight mechanisms established under the previous David Granger administration, leaving state regulators ill-equipped to audit ExxonMobil effectively.
Abandoned World Bank-Supported Petroleum Unit
Dr. Adams highlighted the dismantling of a specialized petroleum engineering unit that had been established in partnership with the World Bank to provide real-time, 24/7 monitoring of offshore operations in the Stabroek Block:
“In partnership with the World Bank, we set up a petroleum unit to provide 24-7 coverage, including people being on board the ships with high-powered petroleum engineers with 5 to 10 years’ experience,” Dr. Vincent Adams revealed.
He noted that following the change of government in August 2020—which also saw the departure of Department of Energy head Dr. Mark Bynoe—key oversight systems were sidelined or abandoned entirely, weakening the state’s technical authority over oil operators.
[ PETROLEUM SECTOR OVERSIGHT GAP ]
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[ Granger Administration Framework ] [ Current Sector Challenges ]
- World Bank-backed Petroleum Unit - Discarded 24/7 on-site vessel monitoring
- 24/7 on-board engineering oversight - Auditors lack statutory enforcement power
- Early policy design under Department of Energy - ExxonMobil withholding production & meter data
Audit Vulnerabilities and Lack of Regulatory Power
Dr. Adams argued that the government’s approach to auditing ExxonMobil’s financial statements and operational expenses suffers from a fundamental lack of authority and enforcement:
“The government runs the audit. The government directs the contractors to what information they need, and the contractor, meaning Exxon, has to get that information,” Dr. Adams explained. “But guess what this government does? They bring in their audit company… and they have no authority to demand it from Exxon.”
Dismissing IMF Recommendations as “Lip Service”
Addressing recent recommendations by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urging Guyana to resolve outstanding cost-oil audit disputes, Dr. Adams dismissed international calls for compliance as mere “lip service” in the absence of genuine domestic political will.
He warned that pervasive corruption, procurement favoritism, and inadequate auditing capacity threaten to deprive Guyanese citizens of their rightful share of national oil revenues.
