LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

Energy ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

June 6, 2025

What’s Behind a Controversial Oil Spill Law in Guyana?

Guyana’s National Assembly recently passed legislation regarding companies’ liability in the event of oil spills. The Parliament Building in Georgetown is pictured. // File Photo: Leonid Andronov via Adobe Stock.

Q

A

Theodore Kahn, director of global risk analysis at Control Risks in Bogotá: “Guyana’s recently-passed oil spill legislation has raised some eyebrows in the industry. Most notably, the new rules envision unlimited liability for damages resulting from oil spills, including environmental remediation, community compensation and government response costs. While such provisions are not unheard of, most international oil jurisdictions only apply unlimited liability in the case of negligence by companies and provide for some measures for cost-sharing with the government. Key questions around enforcement also remain, especially how the government will calculate…”

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ABOUT THE Energy ADVISOR

A sister publication of the Inter-American Dialogue’s daily Latin America Advisor, the weekly Energy Advisor captures fresh analysis from business leaders and government officials on the most important developments in oil and gas, biofuels, the power sector, renewables, new technologies, and the policy debates shaping the future of energy in the Western Hemisphere and beyond. To subscribe or for more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.

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Staff

Gene Kuleta
Editor
202.463.2920
gkuleta@thedialogue.org

Jack Quinn
Reporter

jquinn@thedialogue.org

Lori Rampani
Reporter

lrampani@thedialogue.org

board of advisors

Nigel Blackaby
Global Head, International Arbitration Group,
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Jimena Blanco
Chief Analyst,
Verisk Maplecroft

María José Cortés
Head of ESG,
Atlas Renewable Energy

Jeffrey Davidow
Senior Counselor,
The Cohen Group

Analia Gonzalez
Leader, Arbitration & Litigation,
Laitn America, BakerHostetler

Jonathan C. Hamilton
Partner,
White & Case

Raul Herrera
Partner, Corporate &
Securities Practice,
Arnold & Porter

James R. Jones
Chairman,
Monarch Global Strategies

Jorge Kamine
Partner, Corporate &
Financial Services,
Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Craig A. Kelly
Senior Director,
Int’l Government Relations,
Exxon Mobil

Jeremy Martin
Director,
Energy Program,
Institute of the Americas

Larry Pascal
Chairman, Americas
Practice Group,
Haynes & Boone

R. Kirk Sherr
President,
Clearview Strategy Group

Daniela Stevens
Director,
Energy Transition and Climate Program,
Inter-American Dialogue

Doris Rodríguez
Partner,
Hunton Andrews Kurth

Alexandra Valderrama
Director,
International Government
Affairs, Chevron

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