When it comes to oil spill response and coverage for liabilities, Guyana is setting the benchmark high. According to Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, the country is one of the very few new producers in the world that has been aggressive in pairing top-tier laws with world-class safety equipment to protect its maritime space from irreversible damage.
During his contribution to a recent parliamentary debate on the Oil Pollution Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Responsibility Bill 2025, the minister said Guyana has done considerable work in less than a decade to ensure the protection of its resources.
The bill, currently awaiting the President’s ascent before becoming law, greatly enhances the nation’s preparedness and ensures that responsible parties are held accountable for all costs associated with an oil spill, be it during exploration, production or transportation.
Minister Bharrat was keen to note that the bill clearly enhances Guyana’s reputation as having one of the better-managed oil and gas sectors among new oil producers in the world. The parliamentarian stressed that the bill now represents one of many tools Guyana has within its grasp to address the consequences of a spill.
Speaking to the other mechanisms in place, Bharrat noted that Guyana stands as one of 13 countries in the world which has a capping stack. This equipment is in country and can be deployed within a matter of days to cap an unmitigated oil spill. Even before the capping stack is required, Bharrat said local authorities require oil companies to have a Blow Out Preventer (BOP) included in their exploration or production activities.
“We have all of these systems in place at every single exploration well that is being done in Guyana,” said the minister. Further to this, Bharrat stressed that the application for the spudding of wells is critically examined at all times, ensuring that all the necessary steps are being taken.
Bharrat also highlighted that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is using Maxar software for over two years. This he said allows for real-time monitoring of all activities in Guyana’s maritime space. “Today, we can monitor every single FPSO, every single drill ship, every single tanker that enters Guyana’s water.
“We have the technology to monitor those activities and also to detect if there is an oil spill or not, and to react as fast as possible,” said the minister.
With this latest bill, Bharrat said Guyana can now confidently ensure all parties transporting or drilling for oil offshore are incapable of escaping liability for any spill caused by their operations.
