Guyana President invites China to bid for oil blocks

Guyana President Dr. Irfaan Ali has invited investors from China to capitalize on the country’s oil industry with 14 oil blocks being auctioned this year.

The president, during an interview with China’s state-run CGTN, pointed to the deep ties between the two countries, noting that China has been a key developmental partner for years.

Ali also stated that Guyana seeks to ramp up activity in its nascent oil and gas sector while supporting other sectors of the economy.

Part of those efforts include the auction of oil blocks offshore this year.

“We encourage China to participate in the public process… the bidding process,” President Ali said.

“We will be auctioning off a number of new blocks and we hope that many firms around the world will participate in that process.”

The bid round for 14 new oil blocks was launched last December and is expected to close by April 2023.

Guyana’s government hopes to award contracts by the end of May 2023.

The oil blocks on auction are for shallow and deep-water areas.

Outside of the auction, President Ali said Guyana is developing its natural gas resources and it hopes Chinese investors will be part of that process.

The president also noted that the government does not believe development of Guyana’s oil and gas resources conflict with the country’s low carbon ambitions.

He also said Guyana is keen on avoiding the resource curse- though it doesn’t really believe the problem to be concerned about is having abundant resources. Instead, he said it is the mismanagement of those resources that is a problem. Guyana, he said, is keen on managing these resources well.

“You must go on a wild spending spree. You have to exercise good judgement (and) good fiscal responsibility.

“It is not a resource curse, it is a blessing,” he said.

CMC/