New oil and gas vessel support company hoping to encourage Guyanese participation in sector

A new offshore vessel support and logistics services company that boasts 100 percent Guyanese ownership is hoping to play a part in seeing that more Guyanese are employed in the oil and gas industry.

The company, InterTec Incorporated, was launched at the Georgetown Marriott Hotel in Kingston on Tuesday by one of its directors, Hannah Vogel London.

“It is our mission to be as inclusive as possible and to retain 95 percent Guyanese national employees and we hope that in turn, this will create the basis for more equal social contract in Guyana allowing locals to participate in the petroleum supply chain,” Vogel London said.

InterTec Inc promises to provide the full spectrum of offshore support craft ranging from crew boats to subsea intervention vessels and accommodation units, including tugs and platform supply vessels, among other services.

Vogel London, the former Business Director of Development of Intership Limited – a global company providing accommodation work barges supporting the oil and gas industry, has over 15 years of experience in the shipping sector.

Born in Britain but sporting strong Guyanese roots, Vogel London said she and her Guyanese husband have returned “home” to establish the company in a bid to prevent foreign companies from dominating the oil and gas industry.

“We know that there are one or two companies here monopolizing the vessel service sector, however, we believe there is opportunity for competition,” Vogel London said.

“So we will compete and we will improve on the level of services which are being provided to bring a vast amount of experience and knowledge here into Guyana,” she added.

The company intends to implement a maritime training programme next year to offer Guyanese the opportunity to be trained locally which will allow them to qualify for high-ranking positions.

“It’s going to be very challenging to find a Guyanese chief engineer so these are the kinds of things we would like to see Guyanese trained to fulfill these higher roles, higher ranking roles, that is what I hope,” Vogel London said.

The company currently has several partnerships with local vessel owners and operators to support their venture until they build their own fleet of vessels.