First audit of oil expenses found US$214m in questionable claims by Exxon and partners

-gov’t has kept report hidden for two years

The first ever audit report of the cost claims by ExxonMobil and its partners for 1999 to 2017 found that a whopping 12.8% of its US$1.67b expenses could be disputed by the Guyana Government as they were not allowable or did not have sufficient supporting documentation.

UK firm,  IHS Markit’s (IHSM) audit has been kept hidden from public view by the PPP/C government and it is unclear what it has done since March 2021 to challenge the questionable claims by Exxon and partners.  Unjust claims would effectively reduce the amount of profit oil available to Guyana.

With an audit recently completed of US$7.3b in expenses for 2018-2020, the government will come under renewed pressure to fight off charges that it has turned a blind eye to excesses by ExxonMobil and its partners.