The Probable Impact of an Oil Spill on Guyana's Coast: A Case Study of Three Mangrove Areas

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Exxon Mobil’s production of oil and gas offshore Guyana could have major environmental consequences if the operations are not conducted with technological propriety. Spills associated with oil production could threaten coastal mangrove ecosystems and habitats. This study aims to predict the fate and movement of an oil slick along the Guyana shoreline and to determine its effects on the mangrove forests at Shell Beach Protected Area, Leguan Island, and Victoria. Data for this study were obtained by using the Web-General NOAA Operational Oil Modeling Environment to model oil spill scenarios. Three scenarios were considered in the study. Scenario One envisaged large volumes of oil spill caused by a blowout leak of about 50,000 barrels of oil for 30 days. Scenario Two involved medium volumes of the oil spill, caused by the rupture of an oil tanker leaking about 20,000 barrels of oil over 25 days. Scenario Three utilised small volumes of oil spill from floating production storage and offloading to a conventional tanker, releasing 5,000 barrels of oil over a ten-day period. The results of the three scenarios indicated that oil spill would reach the Shell Beach Protected Area with the highest quantity of beached oil occurring in the winter months.

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