The Government of Guyana has firmly rejected objections by Venezuela to a planned three-dimensional multi-client seismic exploration programme within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), asserting that the claims are legally baseless and represent an unwarranted challenge to Guyana’s sovereign rights.
In a statement responding to a March 11, 2026 communiqué issued by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Guyana said the seismic survey will take place entirely within maritime areas that fall under its jurisdiction in accordance with international law.
The government emphasized that Guyana has full authority to authorize activities within maritime areas appurtenant to its coastal territory, as defined by the 1899 Arbitral Award that settled the boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela. That ruling established the internationally recognized frontier between the two countries more than a century ago and remains the legal foundation for Guyana’s territorial and maritime entitlements.
Under international law, Guyana exercises sovereignty within its territorial sea up to 12 nautical miles and sovereign rights beyond that limit within its Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf. Officials said the seismic survey will occur squarely within those maritime zones, where Guyana has the exclusive right to explore, exploit, conserve and manage natural resources.
“Guyana categorically rejects the assertions made by Venezuela, which are legally unfounded and entirely inconsistent with established principles of international law,” the government said.
The planned seismic programme is part of Guyana’s broader strategy to strengthen scientific understanding of its offshore petroleum basin and enhance responsible resource management. According to the government, the initiative will employ advanced geophysical technology to generate high-resolution subsurface imagery that supports exploration planning and strengthens governance of the country’s rapidly expanding offshore energy sector.
Guyana also dismissed Venezuela’s claim that the survey is being conducted in “undelimited maritime areas,” calling the assertion a deliberate misrepresentation of the geographic and legal realities governing Guyana’s maritime jurisdiction.
Officials noted that Guyana has long exercised peaceful administration and regulatory oversight over offshore exploration activities within its maritime zones, including licensing and monitoring of petroleum operations.
The government further recalled that the boundary between the two countries was definitively settled by the 1899 Arbitral Award, a decision that Venezuela historically accepted and benefited from. Guyana said it is therefore particularly contradictory for Venezuela to now challenge the sovereign rights arising from that internationally recognized settlement.
Guyana also rejected Venezuela’s claim that it would not recognize concessions or licences granted by Guyana within its maritime domain, stating that such declarations carry no legal effect under international law.
“No State may arrogate to itself the authority to invalidate the lawful sovereign decisions of another State within its own territory or maritime zones,” the government said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs further pointed to the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which established the framework for addressing Venezuela’s contention that the 1899 Arbitral Award is invalid. Guyana stressed that the agreement places no obligation on the country to halt economic development activities within its territory or maritime spaces while the matter is being addressed.
Guyana urged Venezuela to refrain from issuing statements that could inflame tensions or seek to undermine Guyana’s sovereign rights and lawful economic activities.
The government reiterated that it will continue to exercise its rights under international law to develop and manage the natural resources within its territory and maritime zones for the benefit of the Guyanese people.