G-Boats Guyana launches 2 tug boats to support oil & gas sector

…2 secondary school students win competition to name boats

Aiming to advance the country’s emerging oil and gas sector, G-Boats Guyana on Wednesday launched two tug boats at its G Port wharf in Kingston.
G-Boats is an oil and gas offshore support terminal, born from a joint venture between Guyanese-owned John Fernandes Limited and US-based Edison Chouest Offshore.
ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge remarked that this launch represents not only Guyana’s ongoing development, but also the growing partnership between these two parent companies and the oil conglomerate ExxonMobil.
“The two vessels symbolise that partnership [and] the deepening of the relationship between the companies, [and] also between the countries —the US, specifically Louisiana that has a lot of similarities and cultural ties to Guyana,” Routledge said.
“The partnership [between] ExxonMobil and Edison Chouest goes back many, many decades. It’s a recognition that though the oil and gas [and] energy business is a global business, it is also a business that ultimately comes down to some very key companies and trusted relationships,” the ExxonMobil President added.
Routledge went on to clarify that these tug boats would aid in the transport of cargo within the operations of floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, as the Prosperity FPSO is expected to become operational later this year.
“[The boats are] going to operate 100 miles plus offshore Guyana; that is where our loading operations take place. They’re supporting the essential work that goes on to deliver the development of Guyana’s natural resources,” Routledge said, adding that the country has already produced some 375,000 barrels of oil in the first quarter of this year.
“These tug [boats] will help bring the tankers and moor them to the FPSOs to take the cargo and deliver the crude to the markets overseas,” Routledge said.

The names of the boats —A’rinra and Madame Kalina —were selected by St Ignatius Secondary School student Raymond De Cambra and Brickdam Secondary School student Kaylan Duncan respectively. This came after G-Boats, in collaboration with the Education Ministry, launched a tug boat naming competition last March within several schools across the country.
Ross Chouest of Edison Chouest Offshore commended the students on their contribution, and expanded on the meanings of the names.
“Derived from the Macushi tribe, [A’rinra] refers to an electric eel, and embodies strength, resilience, and the spirit of exploration,” Chouest said.
Meanwhile, he noted that “Kalina” is a testament to the indomitable spirit and grace of the Kalina people of the Carib tribe, one of Guyana’s nine Amerindian tribes.
“It symbolises their deep connection to nature, wisdom, and their unwavering determination to preserve their culture,” Chouest said. “Just as the Kalina people have withstood the test of time, so, too, will our ships sail proudly and confidently into the future.”
Meanwhile, Education Minister Priya Manickchand, named the vessels’ godmother, noted that these resources will add to the advancement of Guyana.
“Now that we have the resources that have become very topical, I believe that we have the human resources needed to make sure this country advances — everyone benefits, everyone’s life improves, every community is addressed,” Manickchand said.
Since the company’s establishment in 2016, G-Boats now employs over 380 Guyanese, making up 75 per cent of its staff, with the Business Development Director Daniel LaFont noting that, thus far, 13 Guyanese employees have worked their way up to be First Mates.