Feasibility studies

Oct 26, 2026 Editorial, News

(Kaieteur News) – No feasibility study, no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), no US Export-Import Bank (US-EXIM) money. US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, was insistent “they do not lend a dime to anyone until those have been done and satisfied.” In November 2024, EXIM lent Guyana US$527M as part of its funding of the US$2B Wales Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project. The project has since been hit by one delay after another due to soil unsuitability and Guyana forced to pay a penalty of around US$100 million.

So, what did US-EXIM review before it lent over a half billion US to Guyana for the GtE project? It could be that some kind of study was done, but it was such a poor piece of work that the unstable soil in the GtE area went unnoticed, or was noticed, but thought unworthy of mention. The opposite could also be true, where no feasibility study was done, and whatever EIA was commissioned and completed did not do a proper job. What Vice President Jagdeo said on a programme in 2021 about the project may have some bearing.