ExxonMobil Guyana Limited has introduced a new format for public consultations on its proposed oil projects that critics say undermines transparency and restricts meaningful public participation.
The change was on display Tuesday when the company, alongside its consultant Acorn International of Houston, Texas, and the Environmental Protection Agency, met with citizens at the Umana Yana in Georgetown to present findings from the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Longtail project, the eighth proposed development on the Stabroek Block.
Rather than the established open-microphone format, in which questions and answers are heard by everyone in attendance, participants were directed to one of three desks covering environmental, emergency, and socio-economic topics. No microphones were used, no answers were shared with the broader audience, and attendees were, in some cases, redirected from desk to desk without receiving satisfactory responses.
The shift drew immediate frustration. One attendee, who sought clarity on compensation for fishermen affected by oil and gas activities, said she was sent from one desk to another without resolution. A University of Guyana student described the event as a “brainwashing ceremony,” stating that EPA representatives could not outline what measures were in place to manage offshore discharges into the ocean.
Additional complaints included a language barrier with one official whose responses were difficult to understand, and the inability to hear answers at one desk while discussions at adjacent desks continued simultaneously. Questions about the impact of temperature changes from offshore discharges on marine life went unanswered entirely.
ExxonMobil officials stated that the new format is intended to give more participants the opportunity to raise concerns. Critics argue, however, that the opposite is true: by removing the open forum, the new structure limits collective scrutiny and shields the company and its consultants from difficult follow-up questions.
Public comments on the Longtail EIA remain open for a 60-day period, during which submissions can prompt revisions to the draft document.
SOURCE: Kaieteur News, “Exxon tightens noose on public consultations for 8th oil project,” May 1, 2026
