Guyanese should fully support development of natural gas industry

Dear Editor,
I have been involved in the natural gas sector for many years in Trinidad and I have seen the immense and tremendous benefits that natural gas has brought to the economy and living standards of T&T.
Therefore, I am amused and bemused at the arguments against the development of a natural gas industry in our neighbour Guyana.
Much more so, they proposed the relatively small project to bring a mere 50 million cu ft of gas a day onshore, while in Trinidad we are bringing about 4 billion or 4 thousand million cu feet of gas a day onshore from a variety of offshore fields using a huge network of offshore wells, pipelines, platforms and compressors.
This pipeline network feeds the gas onshore running through a wide range of cross-country terrain which is well maintained and accident-free.
Also, a huge range of large, medium and small industries use gas as the feedstock and it also supports one of the largest raw gas processing plants in the Caribbean – Phoenix Park gas processors.
Among the industries are cheap electricity generation (2200 MW), LNG (liquefied natural gas), ammonia, methanol, urea butane, ethane propane and a host of other petrochemicals.
Many other small industries that contribute to the economy and the self-sufficiency of the country are supported such as glassmaking, cement, clay blocks, paint making, hot and cold mix asphalt plants, canning industries, food processing and drying and a host of other small industries.
I would therefore encourage Guyanese of all backgrounds to fully support the development of the natural gas industry in Guyana and the gas to shore project and to say that I and a group of other professionals from Trinidad are ready to support with technical and other advice to get the project off the ground.

Sincerely,
Sat Sukdeo
Chaguanas Trinidad