Guyana is on high alert following the incursion of a Venezuelan navy ship into its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Saturday morning, according to OilNOW.

The country has deployed air assets and is mobilising its Coast Guard to the affected area.

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, in an address to the nation, stated that the Venezuelan naval vessel approached several installations within Guyana’s EEZ, including the Prosperity floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO), which is owned by ExxonMobil, the operator of Guyana’s Stabroek Block.

According to the President, visible markings identified the vessel as “ABF Wakari PO-11 IMO 4695542”, belonging to the Venezuelan Coast Guard. He reiterated that Guyana’s assets, including the FPSO Prosperity, are lawfully operating within the country’s EEZ.

It was also reported that the Venezuelan patrol vessel transmitted a radio message, asserting that the FPSO was operating in what it described as “undelimited waters.”