A report by a nonprofit watchdog group critical of Exxon Mobil Corp’s oil contract with Guyana has rekindled a debate over whether the deal is too generous to the company, just a month before a crucial presidential election... Global Witness said the U.S. oil major's 40-year deal to produce crude in the offshore Stabroek block would deprive the government of up to $55 billion in revenue over the life of the contract... Global Witness said 52% of oil revenues would flow to state coffers in Guyana, below the 65%-85% range it said International Monetary Fund (IMF) surveys showed was “normal.”

... “The conclusions are misleading in that they compare Guyana deep water with mature hydrocarbon-producing provinces which naturally have evolved fiscal frameworks reflecting maturity and lower risk profiles,” Exxon spokesman Todd Spitler said of the report.