Patterson motion calls for gov’t to make full liability coverage condition for future oil field permits

David Patterson

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) David Patterson has filed a motion for the National Assembly to call on the PPP/C government reverse its decision to end negotiations with ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (EEPGL) to have its parent company provide unlimited liability insurance for possible oil spills.

The motion states that not only did the government end those negotiations but also failed to finalise a guarantee agreement mandating EEPGL’s parent company, ExxonMobil, to provide unlimited liability oil spill coverage from the Liza-2 oil field development.

“Be it Resolved that the Government recants its decision to cancel the process already established in 2017 for obtaining unlimited liability coverage by EEPGL’s parent companies – a process that was agreed upon by Exxon and made a condition of the Liza 2 Permit, and was close to being finalized when the PPPC took office in 2020,” the motion states.