Legal team examining US bulk fuel storage facility proposal – Ali

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, 0:12 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Monday said Guyana and the United States (US) bulk fuel supplier, Curlew Midstream, were continuing discussions about a proposal to establish a bulk fuel storage facility that has failed to meet its 2025 yearend deadline.

“We are in discussion with the legal team. They’re handling those negotiations. I’m not going to comment on where those negotiations are but they have a proposal in and we’re looking at that,” he told Demerara Waves Online News.

In one of the court cases filed by Curlew Midstream et al against former US Congressman Mark Green and a lobbyist partner on February 20, 2026, Curlew said its Board of Directors met with a high-level Guyana official to close remaining commercial points, provided the requested due diligence and financials, and received assurances that execution of the fuel exchange agreement was imminent.

Court papers state that on January 10, 2026, President Ali met with Curlew Midstream, confirmed that Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources would execute the fuel exchange agreement, and stated the deal would be executed on January 12, 2026.

However, according to Curlew, the Guyana government then sent Curlew Midstream a “signable agreement” “that unexpectedly incorporated terms from a new consultant not previously participating. “Those terms introduced material last-minute changes to key commercial points inconsistent with the previously agreed terms,” according to the court filings.

The document states that on October 16, 2025, Curlew Midstream representatives met Guyana’s President and other high-level officials to finalise the fuel exchange agreement, and the parties reached an agreement on key terms, including crude pricing, refined product pricing, terminal construction in Georgetown and Lethem, and prepayment or escrow before delivery.

Without referring specifically to Curlew Midstream, President Ali cited the benefits of having such a facility in Guyana at a time of rising oil prices due to the Middle East conflict.

He said he was sure that a number of Middle East countries were looking at states where they could invest in to guarantee long-term security. “Just imagine if we had a massive storage facility in Guyana under these challenges – the role Guyana could have played so we have to look at these challenges and build out long-term opportunities for our country,” he said.

Dr Ali had met several times with principals of Curlew Midstream and US Ambassador Nicole Theriot at the Georgetown Marriott during the 2026 Guyana Energy Conference.

An official of Curlew Midstream, who had promised to speak with Demerara Waves Online News after a round of talks, in the end declined to do so.

Curlew Midstream was a silver sponsor of the 2026 Guyana Energy Conference & Supply Chain Expo.

Pressed on whether two court cases filed in US courts concerning the alleged theft of intellectual property had anything to do with the delay in approving Curlew Midstream’s proposal, the President said he was unaware of such litigation. He said those involved in the court cases would have to resolve them.

On February 18, 2025, the President had told the opening of the Guyana Energy Conference that a deal has been struck with the Arkansas-based Curlew Midstream to refine at least 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day for local consumption.

The plan had envisaged the construction of a US$300 million storage facility in Guyana to store 750,000 barrels of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and heavy fuel oil.

He had said the company had proposed processing Guyana’s crude to guarantee security and sustainability of Guyana’s fossil fuel supplies.

Curlew Midstream had promised that through its terminal, price-advantaged trading would result in an immediate, dramatic reduction in the wholesale and retail price of fuels that power the nation.

The company had said that the facility would supply not only Guyana with 100% of its domestic refined fuel needs, but would also enable Guyana to export the highest quality, non-sanctioned fuels to its sister CARICOM nations.