John Palmer sent the following comment by email:

Re the quote from ExxonMobil about Guyana:

1. No question that ExxonMobil has excellent geologists, seismic surveyors, oilfield engineering, project management, communication skills, resulting in very low oilfield break-even costs.

2. Enjoys the world’s most lop-sided Production Sharing Agreement.

3. Enjoys absence of ring-fencing of costs per oilfield.

4. Pays almost no local taxes but receives from government certificates to say that taxes have been paid by government on behalf of Exxon.

5. Has grossly inadequate insurance cover and refuses to provide an unlimited parent company guarantee (a one-page letter).

6. Consistently exceeds the safe working limits for extraction rates declared in the EIAs, by up to 30% so far, so invalidating even the small insurance.

7. Refuses to pay even nominal penalty for environmental pollution.

8. Government has no independent monitoring of oilfield extraction rates or flaring of gas, depends entirely on what Exxon provides as data.

9. Publishes no reports to show that it is complying with legally-required environmental monitoring.

10. Is supported by government when faced by legal challenges from citizens of Guyana. [however, Exxon is now required by a High Court judgment to estimate Scope 3 GHG emissions in EIAs, and its contractor for EIAs (Acorn International) has done so in the latest Longtail oilfield EIA].

11. Holds country-wide ‘consultations’ on the contracted-out environmental impact assessments, is unable or unwilling to answer questions from the audience at these sessions, promises ‘we will get back to you on your question’ but never does.