Gas-to-energy: Exxon’s Upstream President tells critics the company has been working on pipelines for 100 years

The President of ExxonMobil’s Upstream Company, Liam Mallon on Monday defended the company’s ability to construct a safe pipeline that will bring the natural gas produced in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana onshore to Wales on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).

ExxonMobil Guyana is constructing the pipeline that brings the gas onshore. The Guyanese Government, on the other hand, is investing in the power plant and other facilities at Wales.

Mallon, however, spoke directly to persons who may be critical of ExxonMobil’s construction of the pipeline.

“I’ll remind you that 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of our company’s first long distance welding pipeline.

“We’ve been doing this for a century. We know how to do it. We know how to do it safely, reliably and responsibly,” Mallon said.

Plans are in place to bring about 50 million standard cubic feet of gas per day onshore from the Liza project in the Stabroek Block.

That gas will be used to fire a power plant at the Wales gas-to-energy project; this highly-touted project, the government said, should halve the cost of electricity across Guyana.

At a recent press conference, President of ExxonMobil Guyana Alistair Routledge reminded reporters that the company is responsible for the pipeline that brings the gas from the Stabroek Block to Wales. And according to him, about 40% of the onshore pipeline laying is complete while the offshore portion is about 55% complete.

By the end of the year, Routledge said the entire pipeline should be ready to “introduce gas” onshore but ExxonMobil has to work with Guyanese officials to connect onshore facilities to the pipeline.

ExxonMobil and its coventurers Hess and CNOOC have been involved in oil production in Guyana since 2019. Now, however, there are plans to explore more of the gas reserves offshore Guyana.