COVID19 in Guyana - December

Our daily new cases has fallen to single digits despite hundreds of tests so that is good news. The number in ICU is also low. Not much else has changed that I am aware of. 

Waiting to see if Christmas activities cause a spike!

 

Natural gas in Guyana - flaring and venting

As Exxon continues oil production, natural gas is also being produced. There seems to be a lack of clarity about this process so, while I am no expert, I will try to explain what I have learned.

As the oil is extracted natural gas will also come with it. The amount and composition of the gas varies from well to well and time to time. However the gas is largely methane. It is not the same as 'cooking gas' which is propane or butane. Natural gas can be processed to produce 'cooking gas' and other products.

Large amounts of natural gas can be a real problem for the oil company. There seem to be four options for handling it. It is often reinjected back into the well which can increase the amount of oil available for extraction. This requires compressing the gas to force it back down into the well especially if the well is deep as it is for Guyana.

Secondly, to transport the gas to the shore which requires a pipeline on the sea bed which is a big project requiring time and resources to put in place. This may be the best option in the medium term. As I understand it transporting the gas by ship is not an option as this would require liquefying it first - a difficult and energy intensive operation.

Then there is venting which simply invisibly releases the gas into the atmosphere. This is sounds simple but is a very bad idea since methane is a powerful, potent greenhouse gas and will contribute to global warming. There would seem to be other potential hazards too as methane is invisible, inflammable and can be harmful.

And finally there is flaring which means burning the gas in a spectacular plume of flame. If this done properly the gas will be fully converted to carbon dioxide which is also contributes to global warming. However it is much less potent than methane and thus it a much more responsible way than venting to dispose of unusable natural gas.

I am unsure what the current status is here in Guyana regarding natural gas but hope this outline may help understanding. There is clearly no existing pipeline for gas. Reinjection and some flaring does take place.

An issue not mentioned above is leakage of methane. No matter how the gas is handled there will be some amount of leakage. It is the job of the oil company to minimise this as far as possible. Such is the concern about methane that satellites are being used to track sources of methane leaks.

Sources:

Natural gas for domestic demand by 2023

https://guyanachronicle.com/2019/11/07/natural-gas-for-domestic-demand-by-2023/

Natural gas

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas

Environmental Implications of Flaring and Venting in Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production

http://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/html/10.11648.j.ijema.20160406.13.html

Despite Their Promises, Giant Energy Companies Burn Away Vast Amounts of Natural Gas

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/climate/natural-gas-flaring-exxon-bp.html

 

COVID19 in Guyana - November

 

No major changes since last month. I guess that is a good thing. Deaths now approach 150 but the ICU is about half full (about 8). Daily cases reported are in the usual range.

There are positive reports that private labs are increasingly able to test for the virus - at a cost. It is also reported that the new hospital at Ocean View is being put into use for pandemic patients.

COVID19 in Guyana - October

 

Our situation seems much the same however the deaths are now well over 100.

Graphs of cases seem to suggest that we are over the peak but this just may be an artifact of how testing is being done. There was a surge last month when a prison was infected.

Time will tell.

Our testing capacity is being greatly improved which is very good news. Likewise with our ICU capacity.

COVID19 in Guyana - September

 

The pandemic continues to accelerate with cases around 3000 and 50-100+ new cases per day. The increase still seems exponential. 

There does not seem to be any great alarm in the general population only concern. Mask wearing is still only partial especially out of town. 

Schools are still mostly closed. Some workers are being encouraged to return to work.

COVID19 in Guyana - August

 

What has changed in the last month? 

The pandemic is accelerating and has surged past 1000. Infected persons are still entering the country along the southern and western borders.

On the positive side local stores (East Coast) are becoming more observant with staff wearing masks but many customers do not.

So far no close friends in Guyana or neighbours have been affected.

A hot day

Yesterday was a hot day. The thermometer reached 35C. A record in my experience. The day was very calm and not much cloud.

COVID19 in Guyana - July

We continue to come slowly out of lockdown but case numbers are increasing and approach 400.

On the coast things seem to be mostly unchanged. There seems to be considerable concern over infected persons crossing the border from our neighbours.

COVID19 in Guyana - late June

The first phase of reopening is due to end in a few days. Not much seems to have changed since one month ago. Local supermarkets do not appear to be insisting on a mask though they may have a notice up requesting it. Cases numbers continue to slowly increase.

I have now resumed going for an occasional short walk for exercise which is much needed!

COVID19 in Guyana - late May

How have things changed since last month? Not in a major way it seems.
As the number of cases rises more quickly there does seem to be a gradual increase in adherence to the lockdown rules.
Masks are becoming the norm but not all follow the guidance.
The virus reached the Palms care home earlier this month and there have been cases but I am not sure about the current status.

Some still look for entertainment after curfew.

COVID19 in Guyana - update

So we have completed three weeks of (loosely enforced) lockdown.

Here on the East Coast the lockdown is not enforced as much as in the city but many businesses are closed down. Not having left the house recently it is difficult to be sure of details. I am now seeing a minority wearing masks on the road outside and the area is quieter than usual.

There is limited application of distancing especially in those local shops which are still open.

The relatively slow progress of the virus suggests that policies are having some effect. However clearly more testing is needed. This is not going to be over soon.

COVID19 in Guyana - a note

So where do we stand right now? Officially we have 5 cases including 1 death. A number of persons are in some degree of quarantine or isolation. Testing seems to be  used sparingly.

Several government agencies are urging the use of social distancing. Ports are closed to travellers. Several outlying regions are about to start lockdowns or curfews. Schools were closed earlier in the month.

In the city activities are reduced but many clubs, bars and restaurants still operate. Not all take the threat seriously. Public transportation (by minibus) is still crowded but taxis are increasingly used. Some wear masks. Checkout queues in stores are not spaced out in most cases.

Here on the East Coast life is less affected but is quieter than usual. Masks are not generally seen. The highway is still busy. Life goes on...

New asphalt plant to help recycling

According to reports (Newsroom.gy) a new, larger, asphalt plant is shortly to begin operations. It should have the capability of using recycled tyres and plastic in the mix.

"When completed the new Asphalt Plant will be able to produce 160 tonnes of material per hour, reduce road construction costs and produce better roads.
It was noted that the equipment will also use plastic bags, bottles and used tyres to pave roads."

This seems a significant step in promoting recycling in Guyana.

Climate change crisis reports

As the crisis deepens three news items caught my attention.

Levels of HFCs rising - The threat from atmospheric HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) were supposed to have been banished due to international action taken from 2005. However the threat has returned according to a report in Phys.org:

Despite reports that global emissions of the potent greenhouse gas hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) were almost eliminated in 2017, an international team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, has found atmospheric levels growing at record values.

Call for reduced investment in fossil fuels world-wide - According to the BBC:

The world will face irreversible heating unless firms shift their priorities soon, the outgoing head of the Bank of England has told the BBC.
Mark Carney said the financial sector had begun to curb investment in fossil fuels – but far too slowly.
He said leading pension fund analysis "is that if you add up the policies of all of companies out there, they are consistent with warming of 3.7-3.8C".

Of course Mark Carney is not alone in this view. Some investors are moving in this direction.

How we can meet our climate goals - An article at ScienceAlert reports on research on those "elements most likely to help society limit global warming".

According to the research, the social tipping interventions that could help us do this would be:

• removing fossil-fuel subsidies and incentivising decentralised energy generation;
• building carbon-neutral cities;
• divesting from assets linked to fossil fuels;
• revealing the moral implications of fossil fuels;
• strengthening climate education and engagement; and
• disclosing information on greenhouse gas emissions.

Of course, many of these mechanisms are already in process and evident in society to some degree, but whether any have yet reached a tipping point leading to a rapid societal transformation is debatable.

Relentless persecution of the Baha'is in Iran

Despite its other problems Iran continues its totally unjust persecution of the peaceful Baha'i community, the largest religious minority in the country. According to the Baha'i News Service:

“The Baha’i International Community is alarmed by the recent wave of persecution against the Baha’i community in Iran and calls upon the international community to shine a spotlight on these issues, which represent a major further deterioration”, says Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the BIC.

Iranian authorities are preventing Baha’is across the country from obtaining national identification cards, while a series of home raids, confiscations, arrests, and attacks on properties have unjustly targeted Baha’is.