Jan.21,2018
– identifies 10 acres of land from Ogle Airport Inc.
ExxonMobil will soon begin developing 10 acres of land under the control of Ogle Airport Inc (OAI), the company that operates the Eugene F. Correia International Airport.
Reports are that the oil company is looking to erect its headquarters there. ExxonMobil also wants to build a training center and a helipad. One source said, “I am also being told that they will throw up a ‘living quarters’ which can be considered a hotel.”
Yesterday, OAI’s Public Relations Officer, Kit Nascimento confirmed that the oil giant is looking to get lands at Ogle. He did not specify amount.
The veteran PR consultation told this newspaper, “The airport is in discussion with ExxonMobil with regard to the possibility of leasing some land to ExxonMobil.”
Kaieteur News enquired of Nascimento the purpose for which ExxonMobil proposes to use the land. However, Nascimento said that he was unable to answer such a question because discussions are still quite young.
He said, “I am not in a position where any further disclosure can be made because the discussion has not reached that point.”
Despite such claims by Nascimento, this newspaper has been able to source a copy of a “land use plan” prepared by Chairman of the OAI’s Land Committee, Marcel Gaskin. That document tells a completely different story. The plan has a clearly demarcated area for ExxonMobil and even specifies the proposed 10 acres.
Ogle Airport PRO, Kit Nascimento
Kaieteur News has been made aware that the OAI is ready to sublease the land to ExxonMobil. The only stall is the approval that had to come from Lands and Surveys. It is apparent that officials at Lands and Surveys want to cover all grounds before approving lease of the land. It would be illegal for OAI to sublease without the requisite approval from Lands and Surveys. A well informed source said, “Just now, pressure will be brought on Lands and Surveys to make the approval with haste.”
ALIEN AT HOME?
ExxonMobil has been given prompt and favorable response from OAI but there are local aircraft operators who are not even given respect by the OAI, more over lands. This newspaper learnt of one small operator who has two aircrafts. The young pilot and entrepreneur applied for a simple 100 square feet with the intended purpose of building a hanger. His application was not even acknowledged by OAI. “It is like we are aliens in our own country.”
The applicants request for 100 square feet is equivalent to 0.00229568 acre. ExxonMobil’s request for 10 acres is equal to 435,600 square feet.
Ogle International Airport, recently renamed Eugene F. Correia International Airport, is not owned by the Government of Guyana. Ogle International Airport is owned by the Private Sector Company OAI, by virtue of a lease issued by the Lands and Survey Department for 441 acres.
The land lease to OAI is bound by specific conditions agreed to between the government and OAI.
The lease secured by OAI International Airport company specifies that it must first cater to the needs of those in the aviation sector. Yet, locals in the aviation industry are being bypassed are “Our small applications have been ignored but the great ExxonMobil has been able to secure over 10 acres.”
OAI’s official land use plan
The Lease Agreement provides for the Airport to be “developed and operated as a public aviation facility in accordance with the Civil Aviation Laws of Guyana and compliant with all other applicable laws, statute, regulations and international agreements that pertain to the operations of an international airport, including those promulgated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the International Air Transport Association and other international bodies having jurisdiction.”
WHAT LOCAL CONTENT?
One businessman told this newspaper, “This situation has got us asking if there will be local content in the oil industry indeed. It seems like Guyanese will be left in the cold.”
An overhead view of the area allocated for ExxonMobil
He told Kaieteur News that the government cannot be serious about advocating for local businesses if it is allowing ExxonMobil to erect all its own facilities. “When they put a living quarters you are taking revenue from the Marriott, Pegasus, Grand Coastal and all the other local hotels. Come on, Guyana has many buildings that can be used for a headquarters. None are up to scratch for the big ExxonMobil? Why they cannot rent a building from one of our businessmen? Why they cannot use the facilities of the many training centers?”
Reference was made to the Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin who said last week that the Government of Guyana does not intend to make the same mistakes of other countries in the building of the oil industry. “The minister does not have to go very far to see the mistakes that they are already making.”
Efforts to contact several top officials of OAI proved futile.
Efforts were also made to contact ExxonMobil’s Legal Officer and Media liaison, Kimberly Brassington.
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