Guyana, once one of South America’s poorest countries, is experiencing unprecedented economic growth due to its rapidly expanding oil sector.The recent conflict between the U.S.and Israel with Iran has caused crude prices to spike, further increasing the Caribbean nation’s oil revenue.

With an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil reserves, Guyana benefits from political stability and unrestricted Atlantic access, which makes it an attractive and reliable source of oil.

Exxon Mobil leads the country’s oil production, which has grown to over 900,000 barrels per day in just seven years, resulting in a quadrupling of Guyana’s GDP since 2019.

The government has established a sovereign wealth fund to manage the oil revenue responsibly and plans to gradually increase its share of profit oil from 12.5% to 50% as the consortium recoups its investment.Despite the boom, local infrastructure lags behind, with issues such as open sewage and frequent electricity outages.

Rising oil activity has spurred growth in local services, including healthcare and transportation, although challenges like inflation and foreign companies benefiting more than locals persist.The government is expanding local content laws to increase job creation and support for Guyanese businesses.

Analysts note that while the oil windfall brings opportunities, managing expectations and avoiding overreliance on the sector remain critical for sustainable development.