Guyana is moving towards establishing a centralised system to collect and securely store information on the petroleum sector, with the country’s Petroleum Data Repository targeted to become operational in the final quarter of 2026.
According to the Ministry of Finance’s 2026 Mid-Year Report, a review of the technical specifications for the establishment of the repository was completed during the first six months of the year.
The initiative is being advanced as the Government seeks to improve the availability of petroleum data and strengthen Guyana’s position to host additional oil and gas licensing rounds.
The report noted that improved and comprehensive seismic coverage would be beneficial to future licensing rounds, particularly as exploration activities continue across the country’s offshore basin.
Government had committed to conducting three-dimensional seismic surveys across both licensed and unlicensed offshore blocks and, during the first quarter of 2026, signed a multi-client survey.
Work related to that exercise is expected to advance during the second half of the year to help guide future drilling activity and improve exploration efficiency across Guyana’s national basin.
According to the report, the commencement of those seismic surveys has also reinforced the need for Guyana to have its own centralised system for petroleum information.
“The commencement of the seismic surveys reinforces the importance of a local centralised system to collect and securely store data on the sector,” the report stated.
It added that the review of the technical specifications for the Petroleum Data Repository was completed “to inform its operationalisation in the last quarter of 2026.”
The development comes as Government continues preparations for further exploration and licensing activity.
During the first half of 2026, an exploration licence was issued for the Berbice Block, while negotiations advanced for the remaining blocks from Guyana’s first licensing round.
Those discussions are expected to continue during the second half of the year with the aim of facilitating the signing of Production Sharing Agreements.
The repository forms part of wider efforts identified in the Mid-Year Report to strengthen management and oversight of the expanding petroleum sector.
During the first half of the year, training sessions and workshops were held to build the capacity of regulatory agencies in several areas, including the Stabroek Block’s Crude Lifting Agreement, oil-spill emergency response and the safe handling and management of hazardous materials.
Work also progressed on regulations for the Oil Pollution Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Responsibility Act 2025, which are expected to facilitate the legislation coming into operation by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, stakeholder engagements continued on proposed revisions to the first schedule of the Local Content Act 2021, with an additional 20 areas identified for possible inclusion under goods and services.
The planned Petroleum Data Repository comes amid increased activity in Guyana’s oil and gas sector. Production from the Stabroek Block reached 163.3 million barrels during the first half of 2026, up from 115.7 million barrels during the corresponding period in 2025.
With further seismic work and exploration planned, the repository is expected to provide the local centralised system identified by the Government for collecting and securely storing petroleum-sector data.
