O&G opportunities being carved out for small, women-owned businesses – Head of Local Content Secretariat

Director of the Local Content Secretariat Michael Munroe says that efforts are being made to identify specific opportunities for small and women-owned enterprises to facilitate their participation in the country’s burgeoning oil and gas industry.

“That too is a conversation that we’re going to have with these [major oil] companies to see what opportunities can be specifically carved out for small businesses and women-owned businesses,” Munroe noted on Wednesday at the Guyana Supplier Forum 2026 held at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown.
Back in February, a new digital Local Content Registration Portal was introduced to streamline the registration and certification process for suppliers and contractors operating in Guyana’s oil and gas sector.
On the portal, persons or businesses registering are being asked to submit certain information, such as the region they are operating from and the sector in which they are operating. This data, along with others, Munroe explained is being used by the Secretariat to track and categorise the types of businesses that are being registered.
“There is a method to the madness that is happening with the portal, and we’re thinking very strategically about the type of data that we’re asking [for],” the Director noted, adding that “…from the employee details and the revenue, we’re able to classify a company whether they are a small business or not. And then when we reconcile that with the gender of the owners of the business, we’re able to see how many businesses are small businesses and women-owned and how many businesses are small businesses.”
This digitisation of the registration and certification process at the Local Content Secretariat comes as more Guyanese entrepreneurs are positioning themselves to participate in the country’s expanding oil and gas sector.
Only back in September, it was disclosed in the 2026 Mid-Year Report that some 500 Guyanese businesses had applied for the Local Content Certificate from the Secretariat in the first six months of this year. This certificate allows Guyanese individuals and Guyanese-owned businesses to benefit from carved-out opportunities within the oil and gas sector.

The Mid-Year report also estimated that some US$466.2 million was spent during the first half of 2026 on goods and services in sectors prioritised for greater Guyanese participation.
Currently, over 2000 Guyanese businesses are involved in the local oil and gas sector, and according to ExxonMobil Guyana’s Socioeconomic Manager, Lorna Carlson, these figures continue to grow.
“Spending with Guyanese suppliers has exceeded US$3.9 billion since the start of operations. Spending during 2025 alone approached US$700 million. Over the past year, ExxonMobil Guyana and its contractors have awarded over 150 contracts to Guyanese businesses. More than US$317 million was spent with Guyanese companies during the first half of 2026,” she stated during Wednesday’s Supplier Forum.
Additionally, more than 7000 Guyanese are currently employed within the oil and gas industry, and according to the ExxonMobil official, these are more than statistics.
“Behind every contract is an entrepreneur who took a risk. Behind every supplier is a business that invested in equipment, systems, business development or people. Behind every success story is a workforce member who developed new skills.”
“Guyanese now represent 70 per cent of the workforce supporting operations and project activities. I’ve had the opportunity to work around the world; I’ve never seen a workforce – and not just the one at ExxonMobil, but with our prime contractors – reach the levels of nationalisation that have happened here in Guyana at the speed that it has happened, and that speaks to the capability, education [and] willingness that existed here in Guyana long before we started producing oil,” Carlson declared.
Passed in December 2021 in the National Assembly, the Local Content Act identifies 40 different service areas that oil and gas companies and their subcontractors must procure from Guyanese and Guyanese-owned businesses.
Over the years, however, discussions have been ongoing on widening the areas in which Guyanese suppliers can participate in the industry.
In fact, the Mid-Year Report noted that stakeholder consultations on revising the First Schedule of the Local Content Act have identified 20 additional areas for consideration under goods and services.
According to Munroe during Wednesday’s event, those 20 proposed areas are currently under review by the Government.

Source: Guyana Times