ExxonMobil Guyana, contractors spend over US$2.9B with local businesses since 2015

ExxonMobil Guyana and its contractors have spent more than US$2.9 billion with Guyanese businesses since operations began in 2015, underscoring the company’s deepening commitment to local content and workforce development.
For the first half of 2025 alone, the oil major reported expenditures of US$419 million with 1,800 local vendors. The investment supports a wide cross-section of industries and builds on ExxonMobil’s pledge to strengthen the country’s private sector while expanding technical capacity in the oil-and-gas supply chain.
“This is clear evidence of how local businesses are being integrated into the oil-and-gas value chain,” said Alistair Routledge, President of ExxonMobil Guyana. “Seeing more Guyanese take on key roles in the industry is a sign that our commitment to capacity building is working.”

Fabrication, workforce achievements and capacity building
A milestone this year was the start of in-country fabrication services at the Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc. (VEHSI). For the first time, local teams completed fabrication of quad joints and Pipeline End Terminations (PLETs) – a breakthrough that signals growing industrial capability in Guyana.
ExxonMobil Guyana also highlighted its workforce achievements. More than 6200 Guyanese are currently employed by the company and its contractors, representing 70 per cent of the industry’s workforce. Women account for one in three employees, and approximately 1800 Guyanese are working offshore.
According to the oil giant, capacity building has also been central to the company’s agenda. Local employees have completed over 370,000 hours of training in leadership, technical and professional development, health, safety, and security. These efforts will soon be bolstered by the Guyana Technical Training College Inc. (GTTCI), which is expected to welcome its first locally trained cohort in October 2025. The initiative, jointly supported by ExxonMobil Guyana, its Stabroek Block co-venturers, and the Government of Guyana, marks a major step forward in technical education.
ExxonMobil Guyana’s internship programme is another pipeline for talent. Of its inaugural class, five interns have already secured permanent positions with the company, while the 2025 programme is now underway, giving young professionals valuable entry points into the sector.
The Local Content Act currently outlines 40 different service areas that oil and gas companies and their subcontractors must procure from Guyanese and Guyanese-owned companies.
These include 90 per cent of office space rental and accommodation services; 90 per cent of janitorial services, laundry and catering services; 95 per cent of pest control services; 100 per cent of local insurance services; 75 per cent of local supply of food; and 90 per cent of local accounting services.

Local Content Act 2021 review
The Local Content Act 2021 is currently being reviewed with the aim of tightening up on various loopholes and expanding the service areas through which Guyanese can benefit.
Only recently, it was disclosed that the Government is considering adding a residency requirement for companies claiming to be Guyanese-owned.
Currently, under the Act, a “Guyanese company” is defined as one incorporated under the Companies Act, beneficially owned by Guyanese nationals who hold at least 51 per cent of voting rights, and where Guyanese nationals hold at least 75 per cent of executive and senior management positions and at least 90 per cent of non-managerial and other positions.
In order to participate in the oil and gas industry, companies must register with the Local Content Secretariat and receive a Local Content Certificate.
The projected value of local content in 2025 is expected to surpass US$847 million, almost US$104 million more when compared to the 2024 figure.