Guyana, UK forge discussions on oil and gas sector

Guyana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Frederick Hamley Case is leading a team in Aberdeen, Scotland, for discussions on improving relations in light of this country’s impending oil and gas sector. In a brief release, the Foreign Affairs Ministry outlined on Wednesday that the discussions which also involved UK High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn, have been “encouraging.

The Ministry noted that the mission is aimed at fostering relations to support the emerging oil and gas industry in Guyana, adding that the team will meet with a number of oil and gas suppliers as well as academic institutions over the five-day visit to Aberdeen.
High Commissioner Case was quoted by Energy Voice as saying that Aberdeen’s experience with the North Sea sector will be indispensable to Guyana’s journey.
“In terms of oil and gas, this is our first trade mission and next year there will be a reciprocal mission to Guyana from Aberdeen,” he told the online news outlet. “I think the enthusiasm is there both from the Private Sector and the Government and I am sure a lot will evolve from this,” he said.
High Commissioner Quinn also spoke with the foreign agency expressing his belief that Guyana could benefit from Aberdeen’s vast experience. “Aberdeen has been there, done it and got the picture. There are lessons positive and negative to take away on how to handle things and I think there is an opportunity for us to pass on that experience to Guyana to help them see the way forward,” he was quoted as saying.
Quinn encouraged that Guyana has to prepare for the time when oil “is no longer going to be there and creating an economy that’s not 100 per cent dependent on oil and gas.” Many international players have been seeking to partner with Guyana following finds of large oil deposits in Guyana’s deep seas. Earlier this month, a high-level five-member team from the World Bank visited Guyana to explore the possibilities of partnering with this country on the oil and gas sector. The World Bank had approved a US$35 million development policy credit to better prepare the country to benefit from its oil and gas reserves, and to support Guyana’s efforts to strengthen financial sector development and fiscal management.