Guyanese help to deliver steel components for Hammerhead FPSO

…foundation being laid for local talent to drive Guyana’s progress

The foundation for building local capacity is being laid as Guyanese participate in the manufacturing of critical steel components for the Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel that is currently under construction for the Hammerhead Project offshore Guyana.

Japanese player MODEC is currently building the FPSO vessel to be used for the Hammerhead project – ExxonMobil’s seventh offshore development in Guyana.
The Hammerhead FPSO is currently being built in Asia, but two Guyana-registered companies, Asequith Guyana Inc and Asian Sealand Offshore and Marine Inc (ASOM), were contracted to fabricate structural safety handrails for integration into the offshore platform during construction.
Speaking at a symbolic steel-cutting ceremony on Wednesday at the ASOM workshop along the Heroes Highway, Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith, underscored the importance of opportunities such as these in empowering Guyanese businesses and building local technical expertise.
“We are laying the foundation for the future. Today’s steel-cutting ceremony is more than symbolic,” he stated, adding that it highlights four critical pillars of national development in Guyana: job creation and workforce development, local content and economic impact, strengthening industrial capability, and partnership and collaboration.
“These are not abstract ideals. They are tangible outcomes. They mean more jobs, stronger businesses, enhanced skills, and a future where Guyanese talent drives Guyanese progress… These [fabricated steel] components stand as a powerful symbol of our growing industrial capacity and capability. They demonstrate that Guyanese talent and enterprise are not only meeting international standards, but contributing meaningfully to global projects,” Griffith emphasised.
According to the Labour Minister, this achievement is part of a much larger and evolving story that reflects both global expertise and Guyana’s expanding capacity in the energy sector.
“It is building a workforce that is capable, competitive, and prepared for the demands of a rapidly-transforming economy. Through initiatives like this, we are strengthening local capacity, expanding industrial capability, and ensuring that Guyanese businesses and workers are positioned to benefit. This is how we build resilience, reduce dependency, and ensure that the Made in Guyana, or made in Guyana, becomes a standard of quality and pride,” the Minister posited.

Delivering opportunities today
Similar sentiments were expressed by Head of the Local Content Secretariat in Guyana, Michael Munroe as well as President of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair Routledge – both of whom emphasised how strategic partnerships like these can bolster local capacity development.
“Local companies are critical to building out a sustainable supply chain here, and ensuring that as we develop the resource, we do so in a way where we’re not just waiting for the resource to generate revenues to the Government to pay for the schools and the infrastructure and things like that. That takes time. We need these projects to deliver value to people in the form of jobs and business opportunities today. And that’s what today is all about, it’s to celebrate that continued progress in ensuring that local companies and local people are benefiting from these huge investments that are being made in Guyana,” Routledge indicated.
He went on to underscore the importance of not just ensuring the sustainable development of the country, but also building out a dependable local supply chain, which is critical given the global disruptions.
“It would be unrealistic to believe that Guyana could do everything… [But] for the country to prosper, it needs to be part of the international system. But to be part of that system, it still needs to have a competitive local economy. So, using these opportunities to build resilience, internationally-competitive organisations like Asequith [and] ASOM are critical to the long-term future and the sustainability of the country. So, we celebrate not only the achievements we’re making today, but the foundations that we’re laying down for the future of the country,” the ExxonMobil Guyana boss stated.
Approximately 100 metric tonnes of handrails were manufactured to be shipped to Asia for installation on the topside modules of the Hammerhead FPSO, which will have the capacity to produce 150,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) along with associated gas and water handling. This is the second steel fabrication project that locals have been involved in.
MODEC had previously collaborated with Guyanese partners for similar critical steel components for the <<<Errea Wittu>>> FPSO, which the Japanese player is currently constructing for Exxon’s fifth offshore development in Guyana – the Uaru Project, that is scheduled for start-up later this year.
According to the Country Manager for MODEC Guyana, Rafaek Fumis, these milestones are especially meaningful given the impact beyond the fabrication yard.

Local fabricators
“The involvement of the local fabricators has translated into real opportunities: jobs created, skills strengthened and increased earning powers for Guyanese workers… At MODEC, our commitment goes beyond delivering offshore infrastructure. We are equally focused on creating sustainable value through local content, ensuring Guyanese businesses and talent are not just participants but key contributors to the country’s energy success story,” the company’s country representative noted.
In addition to the fabrication works, Asequith also supplied all the raw materials used for this project.
Asequith’s Country Manager, Farzan Hosein, stated that not only did the company deliver and execute its tasks within the allocated timeframe, but did so building on previous collaboration on the Uaru Project.
Hosein noted that a feature of the company’s work was its commitment to fostering employment opportunities, skills transfer and long-term professional growth within the Guyanese workforce. This, he said, will ensure the impact of this project extends beyond its physical footprint.
“During this project, Asequith maintained 65 per cent local workforce in-country from the start to the very ending of the project, with zero accidents, zero incidents and zero downtime. So, this alone says how much we are producing with the local capacity in the country… We are intentional about creating pathways for the Guyanese workforce to actively participate and benefit from projects of this scale… Our commitment is not to only deliver excellence but to empower Guyanese talent so that as this industry grows, so will the Guyanese people,” Hosein stressed.
On the other hand, ASOM has been investing in training and upskilling Guyanese technicians, transferring its decades of proven capability in offshore maintenance, fabrication and complex offshore project execution.
“ASOM brings a depth of technical expertise that is now being transferred into Guyana. This is how we add value, by combining global standards with local talent, ensuring that Guyana’s talents become not just participants but leaders in the offshore and marine sector… We are committed to developing welders [and] fabricators – personnel who can compete on any global stage. Every Guyanese trained, every skill transferred and every job created strengthen the foundation of Guyana’s local content ecosystem,” ASOM’s Administration Manager, Celeste De Santos, stated.
Only last week, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that the FPSO for the Hammerhead project, which is slated to come stream in 2029, will be named “Essequibo 1899”. This name references the year of the signing of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which demarcates the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.
According to the Head of State, the name was deliberately chosen to honour Guyana’s historical legacy while recognising the country’s rapid economic transformation.