Over 11 billion barrels of oil and gas found off Guyana Country wants to accelerate production to develop economy Hopes to negotiate more favorable contracts for next phase New offshore oil blocks on offer from September GEORGETOWN, July 18 (Reuters) – For the poor, small South American country of Guyana, there’s no time like the present when it comes to reaping the rewards of its offshore oil jackpot. With sky-high oil prices, a transition to renewable energy on the horizon and 750,000 citizens desperate for better lives, Guyana is putting its foot on the gas to exploit it vast oil reserves, even if that means sacrificing some longer-term gains. Already locked into contracts with oil firms that have been criticized for being too one-sided, Guyana had hopes of setting up a state-run oil company to manage the next development phase and conduct its own seismic surveys of unexplored fields […]