28 September 2023 – Georgetown, Guyana – The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is set to host a crucial workshop in Guyana next week, as the country rapidly emerges on the oil & gas stage. The event, titled "The Guyana Suriname Basin: Strategic Development of Resources During the Energy Transition", aims to bring together stakeholders from government, industry, academia and community to delve into technology, geoscience, and sustainability challenges, as the two countries develop their hydrocarbon resources amidst the evolving energy landscape.
Conference Themes, Keynotes, and Panels
The conference will feature three main themes; technology critical for the challenging deepwater development, subsurface evaluation in an age of ever more data and software power (including artificial intelligence), and an exploration of how to develop sustainably.
Key conference sessions related to the main themes are;
Reservoir Evaluation and Engineering
Drilling & Completion Technology, Co-chaired by TOTALTEC CEO Lars Mangal
Navigating the Energy Transition, with panelist Bobby Gossal, Jr., Senior Petroleum Coordinator/Petroleum Management Programme, Guyana Ministry of Natural Resources
Education and Training Strategies, moderated by Marissa Foster of the Guyana Ministry of Natural Resources, with panelist Elena Trim of the University of Guyana
There are a number of other panels and keynotes on topics critical to development.
The interactive panel session on navigating the energy transition promises to be a critical part of the event. The session is chaired by David Noble of Hess, and Cassandra Dewan of SLB, and the abstract includes;
“...Each country has an established reputation for sustainable development in other industries, such as mining and forestry. But the nascent oil and gas industries in these countries will require careful planning to adhere to lower carbon development aspirations… Topics may include Carbon Capture and Storage, Carbon Credits as offsets and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction.”
Future Leaders of the Guyana Energy Industry
One of the most noteworthy aspects of this workshop is the active involvement of key Guyanese figures who are deeply committed to shaping the nation's oil and gas future. Among these individuals are;
Honorable Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources
Lars Mangal, CEO, TOTALTEC Inc.
Rabin Chandarpal, Deputy General Manager at Guyana Shore Base, Inc. (GYSBI)
Bobby Gossal, Jr., Senior Petroleum Coordinator with the Ministry of Natural Resources
Marissa Foster from the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission
Kemraj Parsram, Executive Director of the Guyana EPA
Elena Trim, Lecturer, the University of Guyana.
Their participation highlights the nation's current resources able to step into leading roles, and their dedication to nurturing local talent and fostering homegrown expertise in an industry previously dominated by expatriates.
The Unique Guyana Position
The workshop themes are typical of those for SPE meetings around the world. What is profoundly different is Guyana's unique circumstances of a prolific basin and small population, working to accelerate capacity building in a changing energy landscape.
TOTALTEC CEO Lars Mangal, who will co-chair the Drilling & Completion Technology session, observed; “This context is markedly different from previous SPE Workshops. Traditionally, these events concentrate on enhancing technological prowess and subsurface understanding, which remain essential topics in Guyana. However, the workshop provides an exceptional platform to address other pressing concerns."
Mangal emphasized, "Our small populations cannot fulfill the workforce demands and supporting work. What role does local content legislation play, and how to prioritize? In the long term, what knowledge domains should Guyana prioritize? Is there a role in this for SPE?”
A New Opportunity for SPE Engagement
The Guyana Suriname Basin SPE Workshop offers an opportunity for innovation and collaboration that extends beyond traditional industry areas of technology and geoscience, addressing the unique challenges faced by a country new to the world of oil and gas, one with a small population and rich, natural environment.
Mangal commented; “There is a unique opportunity for SPE to engage issues in a new context. For example, there's the critical issue of sustainable development by the numerous, undeveloped countries with oil and gas in a world where there's growing pressure to reduce hydrocarbon development while at the same time, investing in renewable energy sources. How can SPE engage in helping to address what is becoming a widespread issue?”
With the active involvement of Guyanese and Surinamese future leaders and experts, the event has the potential to set a positive trajectory for the host countries’ oil and gas industry, and create a blueprint for sustainable development in the face of global energy transitions.
Learn About Industry Societies, See Technical Resources and More
To see summaries of the SPE and other major oil and gas industry societies, operators, major service companies operating in Guyana, and useful technology resources, visit the TOTALTEC Resources webpage at https://www.totaltec-os.com/resources .
About TOTALTEC
TOTALTEC Inc. is a majority Guyanese owned and operated company focused on the success of the energy industry in Guyana for the benefit of the country, its people, and partner companies. It does this through three areas: people, partnerships, and facilities. Qualified and motivated Guyanese develop through the TOTALTEC Academy, where more than 3,000 have been trained to international standards. Partnerships prioritize products and services that are starting points to grow from, creating Guyanese led companies, for example Jaguar Oilfield Services. Facilities include multi-client offices, open yards, workshops and storage areas operated by TOTAL-BASE Services Guyana Inc., adjacent to Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI). A complete range of services to onshore/offshore operations is provided on TOTAL-BASE facilities. The TOTALTEC 96% Guyanese workforce includes 6 nationalities with more than 160 years of international oilfield experience. https://www.totaltec-os.com/
Next week will see Georgetown host the SPE Workshop titled; The Guyana / Suriname Basin: Strategic Development of Resources During the Energy Transition. The leaders of the energy future of the host countries will be taking center stage at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.