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Oil exploration moving apace, says Region Six Chairman
September 15, 2011 | By KNews.
………region seeing massive investment
By Leon Suseran

Work to advance gas and oil explorations in Berbice is moving apace, according to Regional Six Chairman, Zulfikar Mustapha. The official is optimistic that very shortly, CGX could start drilling for the precious resources as early as during the first quarter of next year.
He said that he has been speaking with Dr Kamal Dookie of CGX and has been receiving updates on the matter. The Regional Administration even conducted on-site visits to the wharf that is being constructed on Crab Island.
“That wharf is close to 30 per cent completed. There is a lot of infrastructural work started there already. They are now doing the survey for the road. The road will run from Seawell right onto that wharf, alongside the Grand Canal area,” he posited.
He said that the drilling for oil and gas in Berbice will create a lot of employment for young people in the region. CGX has established a logistics yard at Palmyra, Corentyne, not too far from where the drilling is to take place.
“They are also recruiting crews to come to Guyana, with the expertise, but a lot of locals will be employed,” he noted.
He also stated that CGX is currently browsing through applications of persons who would have applied to work for the company. “So, they told me that by the first quarter, the drilling should commence for the oil, but by that time the wharf will be taking shape and a lot of ships will be coming there to load,” he noted.
The official added that Berbice will soon be the economic hub of the country. Several corporate entities have begun to invest in the region, thus creating much needed employment.
He mentioned the Shafeek Group of Companies which is packaging cement at Bermine, Everton, on the East Bank of Berbice. “They are bringing the cement from overseas and packaging it there”, he noted.
“We have the fertilizer bond at Gay Park going up (the same group); a lot of jobs will be created there”. “Everybody is optimistic. And I think that the activity has been heightened by CGX and very shortly, we can have oil, within a year or two.”
“You have two persons—remigrants—looking for land in Region Six. I am working with them closely to set up Call Centres, in view of this Information Communications Technology (ICT) thing coming up”, he said.
Applications have been received also for an Industrial Site at Belvedere on the Corentyne. “I have six applications whereby plots will be awarded very shortly.
“Plans that were in the pipeline are in the final stages of completion, like the roads in Black Bush, and East and West Canje roads.
“I am happy that Region Six will be the centre of economic development”.
He said that the President has instructed him to look for more lands to be developed into housing schemes since land has been exhausted in Berbice.
“Those housing schemes that were developed over the years, the lots have been exhausted and now we have only a few housing schemes, for example Block ‘5’, Port Mourant, Bloomfield, but on the Upper Corentyne area, we are looking for more land in the Moleson Creek area, because the demand for land on the Upper Corentyne is very, very high”, he said.
The Chairman said that more people are coming into the Region to take up residence.
He noted that much improvement is being seen within the traditional sectors. In rice, he said 55,000 tons of rice was produced. “That showed that more people are going back to the land.”
He said that this crop saw close to 52,000 acres of land that were cultivated. “I am optimistic that we can surpass the 55,000 acres”. The region is now seeing the traditional sectors improving.
The Chairman spoke about “two big investments on the Corentyne”. Two rice milling complexes are being constructed in Black Bush Polder and Tarlogie

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