ECO considers setting up regional headquarters in Guyana

Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO), a global leader in marine transportation and offshore support services, is establishing its Caribbean headquarters in Guyana.
This possibility was recently discussed during a meeting with a company representative and Head of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest), Peter Ramsaroop. ECO has operated in Guyana since 2016 under its affiliate G-Boats, which provides supply, escort, and tugboat services to ExxonMobil’s operations in the Stabroek Block. During discussions with Go-Invest, the company also mentioned a potential large-scale expansion into shipbuilding and drydocking operations in Guyana. According to Go-Invest, these discussions support Guyana’s drive to become a major regional hub for maritime and offshore services, creating new investment, business, and employment opportunities. Guyana is actively pursuing its goal to become a regional maritime hub, driven by rapid economic expansion, rising trade volumes, and booming offshore oil and gas operations.

Just a few months ago, the Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, who is responsible for the maritime sector, noted that Guyana’s geographical position and growing economy place it in a unique position to contribute to regional development while strengthening its own maritime capabilities. To support that vision, he stated that the Government has embarked on a series of initiatives aimed at improving efficiency within the shipping and logistics sectors. Among those initiatives is the planned construction of a deepwater port and the digitisation of port operations. “President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has outlined a comprehensive reform agenda that includes the construction of a deepwater port and digitisation of port processes to reduce bottlenecks and turnaround time for trade operations,” Indar said. He also highlighted significant investments in the country’s port infrastructure, including dredging works along the Demerara Channel. “In our drive towards increasing port efficiency, our Government, through the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), has invested in excess of six billion Guyanese dollars into dredging the Demerara Channel,” he disclosed. The Minister explained that the investment aims to accommodate larger vessels and lower shipping costs by improving access to Guyana’s ports.
He further revealed that work is ongoing to develop modern port legislation and establish an independent national port authority to ensure the sector operates in line with international best practices. According to Indar, the Government is also investing in maritime technology and security infrastructure, including radar systems, satellite monitoring capabilities, and high-speed patrol vessels.
The Minister stated that Guyana is also expanding its capacity to monitor and protect its maritime domain, including efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.