Barbados
Barbados government has said it was considering having ocean energy technology operational on the island as part of the Barbados National Energy Policy target of 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. The Ministry of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship said it has conducted an Ocean Energy Consultancy, from January 2020 to March this year, to explore the feasibility of pursuing alternative energy sources and to select the right mix for the country ahead of the Governments 2030 target. The consultants, ITP Energized, supported by local and international experts in ocean energy, examined fixed offshore wind, floating offshore wind thermal energy conversion projects around the island from a technical, environmental and logistical perspective.The statement said the consultant paid special attention to the island’s national parks, marine protected areas, turtle nesting sites, coral reef buffer zones, and the exclusion zone before selecting possible locations.
Guyana
Guyana recently announced the country’s latest oil discovery within the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana. Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharat said the 19th offshore oil discovery at the Uarau-2 well will add to the previously announced gross discovered recoverable resource estimate for the block, which is estimated to be more than nine billion-oil equivalent barrels. He said the new development in Guyana increases the potential to as many as 10 floating production storage and offloading vessels with an increase of the estimated recoverable resource given by operator, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL). He said the government of Guyana welcomes the Uaru-2 discovery and remains committed to the sustainable development of Guyana’s oil and gas resources to ensure that the benefit from the sector transform all traditional productive sectors to enhance the lives of all Guyanese. The US oil magnate also announced that the discovery “will add to the previously announced gross discovered recoverable resource estimate for the block and that drilling at Uaru-2 encountered approximately 120 feet of high-quality oil-bearing reservoirs including newly identified intervals below the original Uaru-1 discovery.”
Jamaica
Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton said that while the Covid-19 numbers and positivity rate are trending downwards, nationals should continue adhering to the infection prevention and control measures in order to avoid a third wave of the virus. He said Jamaica has, so far, experienced two surges of Covid-19 and that “the consequences of the surge we are currently going through have been far more severe than the first one we went through last year.” “What we saw as a consequence were higher numbers of hospitalizations, high numbers of deaths,” he said. Figures release last week by health authorities show that the island recorded eight more Covid deaths, pushing the tally to 778. They said that those who succumbed to the virus ranged from 42 to 96 years old and included five women.The authorities said there were 164 new cases, pushing the total to 45,5578 with 23,409 being active. Of the new cases, 89 were women. Tufton said that in the peak week of the first surge, Jamaica recorded 1,154 cases compared to 4,082 in the peak week of the second surge.
Haiti
The Society of Priests of St. Jacques last week said the remaining Catholic clergy who were kidnapped last month have been released. Last week, the unidentified kidnappers released three of the religious people they abducted and recently, a spokesman for the Conference of Bishops of Haiti had said then. Fr. Loudger Mailer said said three of the priests were released but that the two French nationals, Fr. Michel Briand, 67, and 80-year-old Sr. Agnes Bordeau, as well as four Haitian nationals including two priests, are still being held hostage. Media reports said members of the criminal gang “400mawozo” abducted seven, including two nuns, while they were going to an installation ceremony of a priest at the Immaculate Church of Galette Chambon on April 11. The Society of Priests of Saint Jacques said a total of 10 persons had been abducted, including three non-clergy nationals. The kidnappers had asked for US$1 million ransom but there is no indication if any was paid.
Suriname
