A whole lotta… oil

Remember that argument about “peak oil” that was (heatedly) going on around the time Exxon started pumping ours from under our Atlantic waters?? Predicting that we’d reached a tipping point when the world would be using so much renewable energy, we wouldn’t need mo’ oil – and we were criticised for allowing the oil majors in?? Demand would fall, oil prices would plummet, and we’d be getting 14.5 per cent of zilch!! Well, the world was producing 100M bpd in 2019, and today that’s INCREASED to 105M bpd!! And the price of our Brent Light crude has remained quite steady, thank you! – US$63/bbl in 2019 and US$67/bbl right now!!
So while the PNC clearly bequeathed a terrible oil contract to the PPP Government in 2020 – since then, the 14.5 per cent royalty and profits have poured quite a hefty cumulative sum into our coffers to fuel our development drive!! US$7.8 billion in revenues – and another US$2.9 billion in local spending!! Well, things just got better with the news that our present production level of 650,000 bpd – to reach 900,000 bpd by year-end when the aptly named ONE GUYANA FPSO kicks in – will be further shooting up, up and awaaay!! Our Government and Exxon, respectively, gave approval and announced financing of a new field – Hammerhead!!
This is gonna start production in 2029 – by which time, the Uaru field in 2026 and Whiptail field in 2027 would’ve already been gushing oil to join Whiptail and deliver a minimum of 1,500,000 bpd!! By then we woulda long pipped Mad Maduro’s Venezuela and even be approaching Qatar!! All of this we should expect will further infuriate Mad Maduro, who’ll escalate his bullyism to take over Essequibo!!
However, one of the side benefits of our Exxon-dominated production (along now with Chevron, which absorbed Hess) is that we’re automatically acquiring an American security shield!! Over in Europe and the Congo, etc., all sorts of production deals are being offered – from rare earths to gold – to American firms, knowing the American military will always protect their business firms!! Old Girl Janet – communist and all!! – knew what she was doing back in 1999 when she signed over those humongous 600 blocks to the Yankee oil majors!! Chávez next door in Venezuela was already making noises!!
Your Eyewitness must point out once again that in all of this we’re giving the Chinese a free pass on protection – since their Government-owned CNOOC has 25 per cent ownership of the Stabroek Block production!! Yes, they’re backstopping Mad Maduro not only with weapons but recently with investments to prop up Venezuela’s rickety oil company PDVSA.
We gotta make it clear to the Chinese that they can’t be running with the (Guyanese) hare while hunting with the (Venezuelan) hound!! Get off the pot!!

…suffering in Haiti
You, Dear Readers, would know that Haiti occupies a special place in your Eyewitness’s heart. You might be asking why?? And the answer is, “There but for the grace of God go us!!” Did you ever think that the beginning of their suffering and pain was when they successfully ousted their European masters – the French – and attempted to set up the first post-slave independent country??The newly independent USA – rather than assisting them in solidarity – helped the French inflict retribution because of racism!! Haitians were Black, and they were Whites with their own Black slaves!!
Well, think what could’ve been our history if Cuffy had been successful with his 1763 rebellion here?? Wouldn’t we have been in their shoes – facing similar retribution? So today, spare a thought for Haiti. Imagine troops to bring order in that gang-infested land had to be sourced from Kenya – and weren’t enough from the beginning of the UN-backed initiative??
How long will Caricom avert its eyes?? Are Haitians not also our brothers?

…slackness with Chinese
News of that wall being built for a Chinese supermarket collapsing and crushing a worker to death sickened your Eyewitness to his stomach. Imagine building a 15-foot-high concrete-block wall with no poured concrete posts!!
Murder!!