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Canada petroleum agency commits to sharing expertise with local bodies
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Local | Tuesday, November 22, 2011
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TheCanada Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore petroleum board (C-NLOPB) hasgiven its commitment to working with the authorities here if oil andgas exploration prospects are realized in the future.
Yesterdaystakeholders from various sector agencies were exposed to the expertiseof the C-NLOPB at a half-day workshop at the Pegasus Hotel in the city.
Chairman and CEO of the petroleum
board,Max Ruelokke, told this newspaper yesterday that the organisation whichacts as a watchdog for that country’s oil and gas sector, believe thatthere is a good knowledge base and institutional organisation of thelocal regulatory bodies which overlook the sector.
He said while hehas not been able to interact with the key players of the localorganisations, he was impressed with he has learnt so far about theregulatory bodies.
He said the C-NLOPB was expected to meet President Bharrat Jagdeo and other government officials relevant to the sector.
Accordingto him the organisation is ready to provide support and advice asnecessary to the government as regards management of the sector.
Thiscan be fulfilled via an exchange of training programmes, where personscan travel to Canada from Guyana or conversely the petroleum body wouldbe able to send an expert to work with the government and providerelevant support.
Ruelokke said the prospects of the sector hereappear bright, as he has seen results of United States sanctiongeological surveys which indicate that in the Suriname/ Guyana basinthere might be some 40 trillion cubic feet of gas as well as 15 billionbarrels of oil, a figure which he noted is much higher than Canada’spetroleum industry.
He said C-NLOPB is a member of a body calledthe International Regulatory Forum (IRF) , which works closely withmembers on projects within the sector and according to him the body hashad considerable experience working with the sector agencies incountries across the world.
Yesterday’s workshop was organised bythe Canadian High Commission and it was aimed at providing the localregulatory agencies, including the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission(GGMC), Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and the Environ-mental ProtectionAgency (EPA) with first-hand knowledge of how the C-NLOPB manages thepetroleum sector in Canada.
Participants were exposed to studiesand findings undertaken by the petroleum board, its overall managementof the sector including areas of safety, environmental and re-sourcemanagement.