GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Guyana says it can now inspect and issue helideck licenses, further equipping the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) with the necessary skills to develop its burgeoning oil and gas sector significantly.
A helideck is a landing platform on a vessel or offshore structure that allows helicopters to land and take off.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) presented Prosperity, the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, on Tuesday with a helideck license following a thorough inspection by Guyana’s first helideck inspector, Adrian Bassier.
“Today we can happily say that Guyana has its first helideck inspector after the last inspection,” said GCAA Director General Egbert Field, underscoring the helideck’s significant role in the oil and gas sector.
“Civil aviation forms an integral part of that development, and we are now on the verge of becoming a big oil-producing nation. In moving forward with that, the elements to support our oil production has got to be put in place,” he stated.
The offshore and onshore oil and gas industry depends on the service of helicopters in its operations for several applications, including crew changes and fire and rescue operations.
Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill said the fact that a Guyanese inspector carried out the inspection is a testament to the country’s capacity.
“There is a pride that Guyana can do things and Guyana is going places. When we had to get a helideck inspection a few years ago, we had to engage a foreign partner, Ghana, to be exact, to do that work for us.
“We didn’t have to go that same route again of having a foreign partner to do that inspection. We now have the capacity in the country…And that is very important,” Edghill said, reiterating the government’s commitment to improving the skills of nationals.
Edghill said the government is making significant strides in the oil and gas sector. Last weekend, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said Guyana would construct a multi-million dollar facility that will serve as a center to equip nationals with the expertise needed to work in the oil and gas sector.
“Right here at Port Mourant, there will be a massive facility for training Guyanese for the industry. This will be a US$120 million facility for training people to work in the industry,” Jagdeo announced.
By the end of 2022, Guyana was pumping an average of 360,000 barrels daily and ranked 17th globally by oil reserves. The US-based oil giant ExxonMobil’s oil production in Guyana is expected to reach 750 thousand barrels daily by 2026.
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