Government has issued an order for the acquisition of land needed for the proposed construction of the onshore gas pipeline that is part of the US$900 million gas to energy project, which has been declared a public work.
The order, made by Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill under the Acquisition of Land for Public Purposes Act, was gazetted on Saturday.
It states that the proposed construction of the gas pipeline, from Nouvelle Flanders on the West Coast Demerara to Canal Number One on the West Bank Demerara and the land it passes through, is declared to be a public work.
In addition, it also states that the Commissioner of the Lands and Surveys along with relevant staff is authorized to enter the lands identified to conduct surveys or otherwise examine such lands with a view to the acquisition of the whole part of the land for the construction of the pipeline.
According to the schedule, the pipeline will commence at Nouvelle Flanders with a corridor of approximately 30 meters in width. It will continue in the Southern direction to the side dam between Vreed-en-Hoop and Nouvelle Flanders and will pass through L’Union Rotterdam, Mary and Harlem, Wallers Delight, Ruimzigt, Klein Pouderoyen, Malgre Tout, Versailles, Lust en Rust, Java, Canal Number One, L’Orataire, Bordeaux, Resource and Alliance, and Canal Number Two.
It was further stated that the 30-metre corridor passes through state lands and strips of land within the areas mentioned. The strips of land are to be accurately determined by a Cadastral Survey.
The gas to energy project entails the construction and operation of a 12-inch pipeline, approximately 220 kilometres long, from the Liza Phase 1 and Liza Phase 2 Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the offshore Stabroek Block, to an onshore natural gas liquids (NGL) and natural gas processing plant (NGL Plant) located at Wales. Government also has plans for a development zone in the area, which once accommodated a thriving sugar plantation and factory.
ExxonMobil’s local affiliate, Esso Exploration Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is the operator of the project. It has since submitted a proposal seeking environmental authorization to construct and operate components mentioned in the project.
In its project summary, EEPGL said that the onshore route of the pipeline was selected by the government.
The pipeline is expected to transport up to approximately 50 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of dry gas to the NGL Plant while maximum flow of pipeline is approximately 120 MMSCFD. The NGL plant onshore will remove propane, butane and pentanes+ liquids with the ability to be sold; and treat remaining gas to specifications required by the power plant, including dehydration and pressure letdown of gas.
Once given approval by the Environ-mental Protection Agency, construction is expected to start by mid-2022.
