Political commentator Ramon Gaskin has appealed the ruling of Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire that Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd (Hess) and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Ltd (Nexen) do not need separate environmental licences from co-venturer ExxonMobil to conduct oil production here.
Last Wednesday, the acting chief justice declared that the two companies do not have to be issued separate licences since they are covered under the environmental licence issued to ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (Esso).
Gaskin had challenged the Petroleum Production Licence (PPL) issued to Hess and Nexen by Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, whom he said ought not to have made the grant, since they did not have separate environmental permits.
