Page 10 - LatAmOil Week 12 2023

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He explained that Venezuela’s gas production green hydrogen pilot project, launched last year
infrastructure was either too inadequate or too at its refinery in Cartagena amidst the company’s
broken down to be used. efforts to remain intent on boosting its oil and
He also expressed his opposition to hydrau- gas output, was moving forward. The initiative
lic fracturing (fracking), a technique used to is on the right track, he told Reuters last week,
drill wells at unconventional oil and gas fields, without elaborating.
describing the practice as unnecessary. “We have Kattan spoke to Reuters just a few days before
so many other opportunities. Why would we get Ecopetrol released a statement saying that its
into fracking? There’s no need,” he argued. board had named Alberto Consuegra Granger
Kattan’s view on fracking contradict those to serve as the NOC’s interim CEO following
of Ecopetrol’s CEO Felipe Bayon, who will Bayon’s departure. Consuegra will take this posi-
step down from his position on March 31. tion following Bayon’s scheduled exit on March
Bayon oversaw the launch of two pilot pro- 31 and remain in office until the company’s
jects designed to test the viability of fracking in board of directors appoints a new CEO, it noted.
Colombia. Unconventional oil and gas explora- “Alberto Consuegra Granger has more than
tion remains a controversial topic that generates 30 years of experience in the energy sector and
considerable opposition within the country. joined the Ecopetrol group in 2016 as vice pres-
Ecopetrol is assessing a list of six potential ident of supply and services. He has served as
candidates to replace Bayon as CEO. Kattan said interim CEO of Cenit Transporte y Logística de
company leaders were currently attempting to Hidrocarburos SAS and is currently the chief
narrow the shortlist of candidates down to three. operating officer and alternate legal representa-
Meanwhile, he also noted that Ecopetrol’s tive of Ecopetrol SA,” Ecopetrol said. ™

GUYANA
Bayphase awarded consultancy contract

for review of Uaru field development plan

Guyana’s Ministry of Natural Resources has
hired Bayphase Ltd, a UK-based consultancy, to
review and evaluate the work plan drawn up for
Uaru, the fifth development target at Stabroek,
an offshore block operated by a subsidiary of
ExxonMobil (US).
This is not Bayphase’s first time to work on
the Stabroek project. The British consultancy
was also hired to assess the field development
plans (FDPs) for ExxonMobil Guyana’s first four
projects – Liza-1, Liza-2, Payara and Yellowtail.
This time around, it won the contract for
Uaru in the face of competition from Stratoil
Energy Services (Egypt), the other firm short-
listed to review this proposed project. Accord-
ing to OilNOW.gy, the ministry formally named
Bayphase the winner of the contract, which is
valued at $797,480, on March 8.
In addition to the FDP, Bayphase will also
conduct a detailed assessment of the environ-
mental and social impact assessment (ESIA)
compiled for the Uaru project by Acorn Interna-
tional (US). Houston-based Acorn International
won a contract for the ESIA in August 2022.
The Uaru development project is now Uaru will be the fifth project at Stabroek (Image: ExxonMobil)
expected to cost around $12.7bn, up from the
original figure due to the impact of inflationary after reviewing the ESIA prepared by Acorn
pressures on oil and gas projects internationally. International, which highlighted the impact of
ExxonMobil Guyana had previously expected to inflationary pressures on oil and gas projects
spend less but revised its estimate last autumn around the world.

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 13 29•March•2023