Former minister heads team to probe possible refinery revival

2025, 07/11

Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal revealed that a 12-member team chaired by former energy minister Kevin Ramnarine and including former Petrotrin refinery managers and OWTU officials, has been mandated to develop a strategy for reactivating the refinery and report by October.

The energy ministry submitted a note to Cabinet to establish a committee to develop a strategy for the reactivation of the Guaracara refinery, which has been out of commission since 2018.

Moonilal cited the UNC General Election commitment to reopen the refinery, “which was slammed shut” (sic), leading to socio-economic dislocations.

Since the closure, the holding company has undertaken three processes to identify a preferred investor to restart the refinery. That has led to the interest of several entities.

“Notwithstanding those previous efforts, the new Government is committed to establishing its own agenda to revitalise the oil/gas sector, which continues to experience a sustained decline in both oil and gas production. Ramping up production of oil and gas is critical to any economic boom we project.”

With that in mind, the Government has taken immediate steps towards reactivating the refinery and the committee was approved by Cabinet. The team led by former minister Ramnarine comprises:

1. • Former Petrotrin vice president of finance, Shariba Ali Rajah.
2. • Former vice president of retail and marketing, Kelvin Harnanan.
3. • Former refinery manager, Gowtam Maharaj (now chairman of the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation.
4. • UWI lecturer in engineering/maintenance, Kishore Jagroo.
5. • Operations and Process engineer, Leslie Chang.
6. • OWTU branch president, Christopher Jackman.
7. • Electrical systems/former OWTU monthly representative, Danny Goolcharan.
8. • Planning and Economics Scheduling commercial port marine manager, Margaret De Silva Okando.
9. • Energy Ministry senior chemical engineer, Yashee Carrington.
10. • Energy Ministry chemical engineer, Anuskha Benny-Sookoo
11. • Port, marine and shipping expert, Len Chan Chow

Moonilal said three team members are nominated by the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) which had always expressed an interest in the matter . He didn’t think that gave the union an unfair advantage in the situation: “We just want to get an honest, independent technical assessment.”

The terms of reference are to examine the technical evaluation for the return of refining, human resource requirements, financial, regulatory and feedstock requirements and commercial arrangements.

Government hoped the committee will take a maximum of four months, or less to submit a report, “and will speak to the issue of the reopening of the refinery, its current state and technical assessment of its capacity and a projection of what will be required in terms of feedstock supply, human resources, technical assessment, readiness and the infrastructure and utility profile as exists.”

The committee would not deal with who should be an investor but its work would inform further decisions on a choice of “players, stakeholders, partners” to reopen the refinery. It will inform the Government to what extent it may look at a capital outlay and equity participation for any arrangement.

“Then we’ll get further assistance with commercial and contractual matters.”

Previous bidders have been placed on hold pending the team’s report.

“This report will inform our work further on those entities that have expressed interest and any others that may express interest in the future. Apart from those that are already in the public space, we’ve received information from other entities, but we’d put all on hold pending refinery assessment.”

The holding company and subsidiaries will provide a secretariat for the team and make available all documents, technical reports and financials needed. The committee will meet very soon.

Members will receive a small stipend, Mothballing the refinery utilised public funds of $470,000 monthly, paid to a contractor for services associated with the refinery. Including other costs associated with mothballing, total cost incurred by Guaracara is estimated to be $5.6 million per month.

The committee’s report will be made public.

 

 

 

 

OWTU liable for US$4M loan for refinery bid

2025, 07/05

High Court Judge Carol Gobin upheld KCL Capital Market Brokers Limited’s case against the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union and its associated company Patriotic Energies and Technologies Limited, which was established to aid in its bid for the refinery.

The OWTU has been held liable for over US$4 million in loans it secured for its bid to acquire Petrotrin’s Pointe-a-Pierre refinery after it was closed and the overall company restructured in late 2018.

The loan centred around two agreements entered into between KCL Capital and the OTWU, through its then-trustees Ozzi Warwick, Raymond Huggins, and Ernesto Kesar, between November 2019 and May 2020.

Kesar, the union’s former vice president, won the Point Fortin constituency in the recent General Election and has been appointed Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs.

Warwick is the union’s chief education and research officer. KCL Capital filed the lawsuit after the principal and accrued interest under both loans were not paid.

In defence against the lawsuit, the OWTU claimed that KCL Capital could not seek to enforce the agreements as, under its rules, it (the OWTU) was not permitted to use the proceeds of loans to settle the fees of legal, technical and financial consultants utilised for the acquisition bid.

Justice Gobin rejected the position.

“The argument that the rules do not allow the transactions relies on an expectation that every possible course of action which could protect and promote the interest of members would be spelt out and expressly provided for. This to my mind borders on the absurd,” she said.

She also rejected claims that the agreements breached Section 17 of the Trade Unions Act.   The legislation makes it an offence for union executive members to fraudulently utilise a trade union’s finances for purposes outside of its rules.

“In the absence of fraud, misrepresentation, or misconduct, the transactions entered into by the OWTU were not caught by section 17,” she said.

Justice Gobin also rejected the union’s claim that it could not be held liable as it was not unjustly enriched by the loans. She noted that KCL Capital claimed that some of the money was paid to the union and the remainder to service providers it identified and Warwick, who was the union’s main witness, did not categorically deny that the union received part of the proceeds.

Stating that the OWTU and Patriotic shared a close relationship, Justice Gobin pointed out that it (Patriotic) was incorporated by Warwick, who served as its deputy chairman.

“Even if I were to accept that the OWTU did not receive any money from KCL, the evidence established the relationship between the Defendants with overlapping directors and officials and their common intention to acquire and operate the refinery through Patriotic, which was incorporated for that purpose. It does not lie in the mouth of the union to say it did not receive the funds.”

Kesar, when contacted, said “unfortunately, I have not seen the judgment you are referring to. However, you can always check me back later for feedback.”

The OWTU’s bid for the refinery was rejected by the evaluation committee established under the tenure of the former People’s National Movement (PNM) government. Last year, former energy minister Stuart Young had claimed that Patriotic did not progress to the next round of the bidding process due to a purportedly fraudulent US$1.5 billion wire transfer to its accounts.

In February, Young announced that Nigerian company Oando Trading DMCC had been selected to lease the refinery. However, with the current United National Congress (UNC)-led coalition Government led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar taking office, there is doubt over the previous arrangement. The current administration has repeatedly stated that it would work with the OWTU to attempt to restart the refinery’s operations.

KCL Capital was represented by Dave Williams and Stacy-Ann Ramkhelewan. The OWTU was represented by Douglas Mendes, SC, Anthony Bullock, and Alatashe Girvan.

 

 

Reopening refinery about training, as well

2025, 06/04

When state-owned oil company Petrotrin in Pointe-a-Pierre closed its doors in November 2018 due to financial losses and inefficiencies, leading to significant restructuring in the energy sector, T&T lost a cornerstone of its economy for over a century.

With plans to restart the refinery by the government, this would not only mean fresh economic stimulus but Larry Ramnath, senior project manager for the oil and gas division of energy contractor TN Ramnauth and Company Ltd is adamant that the refinery’s grounds could once again be a vibrant training facility, especially for young people wanting a career in the energy sector. This would, in turn, redound in positive benefits to the country.

TN Ramnauth and Company Ltd, which has been in existence since 1992, took a big hit when the refinery closed.

The most significant impact was the discontinuation of skills development.

“One of the biggest hits to us was actually the refinery because it was a training ground for most of our energy personnel.

“You could train in pipe welding, fitting, lifting, rigging, insulation, electrical, everything there. So the inability to train young people right now is a major stumbling block. It’s just because we had a younger staff who were being trained in the refinery, we currently have the human capital to go forward.

“Most of the other contractors probably had aged workforce and they can’t replenish them right now with the skillset that’s required because of the shutdown of the refinery,” Ramnath said, as he welcomed the move to reopen the refinery.

While Point Lisas has a training facility, Ramnath said it was limited.

“The only other training ground really is Point Lisas and it is scaling back as some of the plants are shutting down. So again, there are less areas in which younger persons could come in and be trained to be able to go back out into the other areas and other facets of the energy industry.

“So it’s harder to train young persons overall. For instance, I may have five or six brand new persons probably on their first energy project ever as my current project is with Shell and they would probably only learn about pipeline insulation. I can’t teach them about anything else. I’d have to wait until something else comes up and there isn’t that amount of work any more.

“So they may lose that skillset because I don’t have anything to give them to continue. And five years from now, they may probably become an electrician. I lost somebody who could have progressed into pipeline construction,” Ramnath explained as he described the refinery as the company’s “main stomping ground.”

Some main players the company had dealt with in the past, like larger contractors, have become non-existent due to the closure. In this vein, Ramnath called for partnerships, whether agency or government, to start marketing local contractors on the regional scale when it comes to job generation.

Ramnath said this would not only strengthen connections for energy contractors but could lead to further employment and in the long term, build and brand the local energy industry.

“So rather than the contractors trying to go to Guyana and Suriname, the agencies here should be partnering and asking, ‘Why isn’t NGC bidding for some of these projects in Suriname? Why isn’t Heritage bidding for one of these projects? Why aren’t they carrying across the current cadre of contractors along with them and saying, ‘Look, we could be an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor rather than a state entity. I have the engineering and the financial capability and I have partnerships with local contractors.

“So you don’t bid as a government to government. You bid as an entity to the private sector over there. We could become a little Texas. We have human capital here. You just don’t have any way to send them to work,” Ramnath advised.

He said as a result professionals in the sector are forced to seek employment outside the country.

TN Ramnauth and Company Ltd started off in Petrotrin doing electrical and pipe-fitting work.   They then blossomed into other areas including civil, mechanical, tank construction among other things, enabling the company to become one of the major players in the then refinery.

When Petrotrin closed, TN Ramnauth and Company Ltd therefore, had to find other sources of work, with the National Gas Company of T&T Ltd (NGC) becoming the main avenue in 2019.

“We are actually responsible for almost all of the major projects to date and most recently we worked on the Touchstone pipeline,” Ramnath shared.

The company also built the pipelines for the Beachfield facility in Guayaguayare, which Ramnath said has allowed NGC to upgrade its condensate facility. TN Ramnauth and Company continues to expand its horizons.

Recently, it won the Shell Manatee pipeline project.

“The Shell Manatee pipeline is a 32-inch pipeline from the Manatee Field southeast block which comes directly onto the Shell Beachfield facility.

“McDermott International is the prime contractor for Shell. They would be installing about 110 kilometres of subsea pipeline, and they have contracted us to build the onshore section of the pipeline.

So when it comes off from the beach, there’s 3.5 kilometres of pipeline to run on land through the existing right of ways all the other operators, Woodside, NGC, Heritage, to run into the Shell facility, and that feeds back into the domestic gas facility, which is the pipeline and NGC facility,” Ramnath said.

He added the project was awarded in December 2024 with mobilisation beginning this year.

“We mobilised on in February 11…We physically got boots on the ground. Typically it takes a couple months to get the documents sorted, get them pre-approved by the client, all the risk assessments…That was finally agreed and approved so that we could actually mobilise equipment and manpower facilities in February. So we actually broke ground in February,” Ramnath explained.

That project due to be completed by April 2026, is supposed to add to gas to the national grid

 

 

 

Refinery revival sparks optimism

As the former oil refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre looms over the compound that once bustled with resident employees and activities linked to the now-defunct State-owned Petrotrin, possible revival excited surrounding communities from Central to South Trinidad.

Residents urged the Government to fulfil decades of broken promises that energy revenue would be used to increase prosperity and opportunity.

An announcement by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that the Government had formed a committee to develop a strategy for reactivating the refinery was met with approval by residents in Gasparillo, Marabella, Claxton Bay and parts of Central Trinidad.

While people cautioned that the Government and labour unions must ensure the refinery operates without corruption, many said they welcomed the “revival”. Business owners claimed a massive decline in revenue for a range of goods and services, citing loss of employment in the energy sector during the past decade as a key factor. Many residents had previously been employed by Petrotrin or knew someone who was retrenched when the company was shut down in 2018.

People said employment could only have benefits and that since the closure of the refinery—and several companies, including ArcelorMittal in Pt Lisas in 2016—spending power took a dive on the southern peninsula in particular.

A negative economic impact was felt with the decline of the energy industry, including on businesses such as food and beverage, vehicle supplies and repairs and a multitude of retailers including grocers and vegetable sellers, clothing vendors and home goods. Owners of restaurants and bars in Gasparillo, some of with a clear view of the former refinery, said they looked forward to a return of the days when “business was booming”.

One with an 80-year history in Gasparillo, retaining much of its original structure, recalled the location’s immense popularity with former Petrotrin employees. Up to a decade ago, more people were employed in the energy sector and this was reflected in spending habits. She was among those noting the closure of many food and drink establishments, as well as catering companies, whose business declined with successive retrenchments in the energy industry. The southern peninsula was “much more prosperous”.

A former Petrotrin employee said “Once it is done right, the benefits to the communities around here will be tremendous.” The 71-year-old said his job at Petrotrin had given him a stable life with a son and daughter who both won scholarships in chemical processing and engineering. He “completely” supported reopening of the refinery, which could easily provide some “two to three thousand jobs”.

“They have to make sure that the plant is run properly.”

The plant was currently rusted and rundown and would require substantive financial injection to re-operationalise. Significant replacement of equipment would have to take place and a number of costly projects “never worked a day”. Return of employers such as the refinery would inject economic life into surrounding communities.

“Definitely, there would be a positive economic impact….people would spend more and support businesses in the community”.

When companies such as Petrotrin were running, businesses from roti shops to home goods and services were enjoying brisk trade. Once among the most economically stable in the working class, some former Petrotrin employees have fallen on “very hard times”.

Several former workers were among those seeking employment or assistance. Some former workers did not receive full remuneration, some met health challenges and other issues that debilitated them financially.

Former Petrotrin workers struggling to put food on the table should be adequately compensated. Those qualified to be re-employed in a new refinery should be and the energy industry would be brought back to life. Gasparillo and environs had high unemployment among young people, including those academically qualified for the industry.

The State must ensure any new refinery is operated at a profit. Employed at Atlantic LNG, one said increased employment in the communities would redound to the benefit of the national economy in the long term. Many people lost gainful employment and a higher standard of living, as energy companies closed or downsized.

With the change came less unnecessary spending, including on celebrations and this meant less business for purveyors of food and drink. Thousands lost their jobs with the closure of various energy companies.

One looked forward to a “new generation” of energy employees and the return of economic stability to many homes, through the revival of the energy industry. There was no documentation of how many small and medium downstream businesses had dried up, as a result of decreased purchasing power in the South.

“It’s a great opportunity. The negative impact of the closure of Petrotrin was felt throughout the South”.

South Trinidad had seen economic decline with changes in the energy industry. Job loss impacted hardware stores, auto suppliers, home goods retailers and food suppliers from restaurants to fishmongers.

“Definitely, the decline in revenue for small businesses has been very clear and has only been getting worse.” The energy industry declined and nothing replaced it, which can be seen in spending habits from South to Central.

“Sunday mornings and weekends” were once “overflowing” the fishing depot and “people would spend”.

“The same customers who used to work in places like Petrotrin, and would spend several hundred dollars on a Sunday, are budgeting to buy some fish twice a month,”

Energy companies and multi-nationals “spend a lot on events”, but in recent years, orders for large amounts of fresh seafood have significantly declined. Shrinkage in the energy industry was linked to smaller income for printing companies, businesses which provide items such as plaques and trophies and sellers of high-end stationery items.

“When energy was booming, you could easily get an order for $25,000 worth of brand-name, customised pens from one company alone for Christmas. There were always events, such as Secretary Week or gifts being ordered for executives, expatriates and so on,”one said.

Business has steadily declined. There just wasn’t enough business in the South like before. It didn’t make sense to be based in South and eventually people moved to Central and then Port of Spain. Some shut down like Petrotrin.”

Many young people, especially in south Trinidad, were given the impression that they would be able to find work in the energy sector and had pursued the relevant academic qualifications.

“But they cannot find the work, because many things were not done or the companies are closing down. I support the reopening of the refinery. After 100 years of oil, we are yet to really see the benefits. I hope the Government does it right, and the people benefit.”

 

 

 

 

Paria pushes T&T as key bunkering hub

Bunkering boost

Lydia Dindayal, commercial manager, confirmed PARIA Fuel Trading Company is positioning Trinidad and Tobago as a key player in the emerging renewable bunker fuel market.

At the opening day of the Energy Conference, Dindayal laid out a roadmap to transform the petrostate into a regional hub for low-carbon bunkering.

In her presentation “Development of a Low-Carbon Maritime Sector”, Dindayal highlighted Paria’s strategic location, expanding offshore operations and planned supply of renewable marine fuels—such as methanol and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO)—as key pillars of the company’s transition.

Paria, a State-owned company under Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited (TPHL), plays a central role in importing and exporting refined petroleum products. Its operations cover both local and regional markets and include an expanding offshore bunkering business.

Dindayal emphasised Trinidad and Tobago’s strategic location for bunkering, positioned along key global shipping routes connecting North and South America, the Panama Canal, Europe and West Africa. This advantage places both Paria and the country in an ideal position to expand bunkering operations.

“We have a deep-water port and a sheltered harbour; storage capacity over (2.5 million of clean products as well as 1.5 million barrels of crude); a lab, which is ISO IEC 17,025, 2017 certified and blending capabilities; we also do product testing and offer competitive prices. Historically, this is our performance. We have been profitable for the last three years.”

The company continues to expand its market in the region and “46% of our regional sale is really to the Caricom countries and 4% to the non-Caricom countries.”

Focusing on Paria’s bunkering operations, she said the company has two bunker vessels through a lease arrangement with the owners.

“We have a capacity of 52,000 barrels of very low sulfur fuel oil, which meets the IMO regulation of 0.58% sulfur…we do gas oil as well, 32,000 barrels; and 20,000 barrels of HSFO. Yes, there are still a lot of vessels that use HSFO (high sulfur fuel oil) because they have these proper facilities. The last eight months…has been profitable and we do approximately 90,000 barrels per month of a split of 53 to 47 in terms of gas oil and fuel oil, and we do about 50 barrels per month.”

Since Paria’s inception, there have been no complaints or issues reported about the quality of their products.

In relation to performance last year, she highlighted that in August 2024,“there was a methanol bunkering demonstration with methanol, national energy, dam bunkering, green energy, Uni-tankers, and of course Paria, and this was successfully completed at the port of Point Lisas; it was one of the first of its kind in this region. So it was a big deal for all the companies that were involved.”

ISCC certified

Paria commenced offshore bunkering operations in October last year,.

“We have continued operations offshore—it’s just off the northeast of Trinidad. In terms of our certification, we are now ISCC certified—which is International Sustainability and Carbon Certification—which will allow us to trade and supply low carbon and renewable maritime fuels especially into Europe.”

This is “positioning Paria well in the evolving renewable bunker fuel market. We are also a member of the IEIA, which is the International Bunker Industry Association, which comprises a lot of ship owners and suppliers ; they are also influential in the IMO regulations.

So, one of the biggest things for us is HVO, which is hydrogenated vegetable oil, a liquid fuel which is made of 100% of renewable oil, like cooking oil, palm oil, as well as animal fat.”

HVO is similar to petroleum diesel and therefore can be used for bunkers, in tugs and launches in ports. It forms part of the company’s expansion, which is around renewable fuels and HVO. Stating Paria’s medium- to long-term strategy, she said,

“Methanol is one of the products being looked at with intentions to partner with producers in Trinidad and also the regulators.”

Noting that a lot of the bunkering regulations are not in place in this country for renewable fuels, she said it is something that has to be pushed with the regulators. Dindayal reinforced that a regulatory framework must be developed locally to accommodate alternative fuels.

The company continues to look at opportunities in relation to regional trading and CIF deliveries, “which we have done in the past.” Additionally, there are plans to increase its storage for renewable fuels. Touching on the IMO regulations, which started from 2020 to 2025, she said:

“Everybody is just trying to get in line with these regulations. So, just a little bit about the global bunker demand (and this information comes from S&P Global, and they have done a lot of analysis and a lot of work in terms of the demand for bunkers). So, what they’re saying here is by 2030, the alternative fuels that will be gaining a lot of momentum from a lot of companies which are trying to meet their CO2 targets will be LNG, biofuels and methanol.”

Based on the analysis as 2050 approaches, “that will change to ammonia and hydrogen, and those two will emerge as the dominant choices for shipbuilders. And we expect that the ESG investors and shipowners will provide the infrastructure to develop these fuels.”

The market is considering biofuels, which is a well-developed market.

“It’s a drop-in fuel because it’s very compatible with marine engines, and it also has a strong green accreditation and especially HVO. So, it’s in high demand; but it has a lot of concern for the land usage. It’s cost barriers as well as CO2 transport issues that limit the adoption.”

Ammonia as a fuel carrier has no CO2 emissions; “—however, it faces low energy density, and we still have some port infrastructure gaps and there are also some toxicity concerns.”

LNG has existing infrastructure however, it’s a large capital cost. Consequently, the bottom line is that each alternative fuel has a trade-off for sustainability or feasibility, and also the cost.

“So ultimately, the maritime industry will need to invest heavily in the infrastructure and innovation to transition towards sustainable fuels, while balancing the economic and operational challenges.”

Dindayal revealed a three-phase roadmap aimed at transforming Trinidad and Tobago into a low-carbon bunkering hub. The plan began with a memorandum of understanding in 2024 involving Paria, National Energy, NP, and the University of Trinidad and Tobago.

The current phase includes a pre-feasibility study to develop infrastructure and stakeholder engagement. “We hope that the pre-feasibility study is approved and then move into a feasibility study where we can look at making Trinidad that national hub…The products that we will be offering here will be HVO, methanol, biodiesel—that’s what we expect.

And we need a lot of action in terms of stakeholder partnership. We need to do supplier contracts, we have regulatory submissions, as well as to initially deliver these products via pipeline and barge.”

The second phase is where “we try to introduce a centralised model doing vessel bunkering as well as exporting cargoes. And the last phase is looking at the expansion of green energy to do more green methanol.

And not only for Trinidad, but we also look at our regional and international markets. So, the next step would then be developing the port facilities, strengthening supply relationships. We do a lot more ship-to-ship partnerships and more for this zero-bunkering hub.”

That roadmap is a strategic progression towards low-carbon fuel adoption, positioning Trinidad and Tobago as a regional leader in sustainable marine fuels.

 

 

 

Energy transparency remains crucial to T&T’s fortunes

2025, 06/03

A Government enters office, firing on all cylinders as Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector continues to be at the forefront of national attention. This is underscored by ongoing foreign exchange (forex) constraints, the nation’s heavy reliance on energy revenues to support the national budget, and the critical role of the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) in maintaining economic stability.

In this moment of transition, the Trinidad and Tobago Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TTEITI) continues to advance transparency, accountability and good governance across the energy and mining sectors.

With over a decade of independent reporting and stakeholder engagement, the TTEITI has published 11 reports and reconciled approximately TT$180 billion in payments made by extractive companies with the government’s declared receipts, providing independent verification of revenue earned and ensuring that all funds are properly accounted for.

The TTEITI has also hosted regional forums with our Caricom neighbours, including Suriname and Guyana, to foster knowledge sharing, strengthen regional collaboration, and promote best practices in extractive sector governance.

Importantly, the TTEITI continues to serve as a vital link between government, civil society, and industry for collaboration, supporting policymakers and citizens with credible data to inform their choices and strengthen their calls for sustainable development.

Although launched earlier this year, The State of the Extractive Sector Report 2024 provides updated information on energy sector tax payments and offers key recommendations to strengthen tax collection, as well as audit and assurance systems, making it a critical tool for informed policymaking and improved resource governance.

As the nation navigates mounting economic pressures, the report provides critical insights into the sector’s trajectory, highlighting persistent structural challenges while underscoring the continued importance of open data and evidence-based decision-making.

The economic reality: overview of revenue and production

T&T’s economic foundation has long rested on the pillars of oil, gas, petrochemicals, and mining. In the report, 52 oil and gas entities, including seven state-owned enterprises (SOEs), participated in the reconciliation exercise, contributing a reconciled total of TT$31,063,135,040 in payments to the government for 2022.

The Independent Administrator (IA) identified a variance of TT$7.7 million between the payments reported by the oil and gas companies and the actual receipts by the government. This discrepancy was attributed to foreign exchange fluctuations. Importantly, there were no unidentified differences, meaning all revenues were accurately accounted for.

While the reconciliation exercise covered fiscal 2022, in order to provide the public with up-to-date information, the TTEITI also included unaudited data up to December 2024.

As of December 2024, the average price of WTI oil was US$70.12 per barrel, reflecting a marginal decline from US$71.90 per barrel during the same period in 2023. Similarly, Henry Hub natural gas prices averaged US$3.01 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) in December 2024, up from US$2.52 per mmBtu in the same period of 2023. As of March 2025, WTI crude oil was priced at US$68.24 per barrel, while Henry Hub natural gas stood at US$4.12 per mmBtu (see charts 1 and 2).

From fiscal year 2011 to December 2024, the government collected a total of $29.3 billion in royalties, with a significant increase following the 2017 royalty rate adjustment to 12.5 per cent. Royalties declined by 20.92 per cent, from $3.8 billion in 2022 to approximately TT$3 billion in 2023. For fiscal year 2024, the government has received around $2 billion in royalties, with the three largest contributors being bpTT, Heritage and Perenco, paying approximately $1 billion, $712 million and $128 million respectively.

Between October 1, 2024 and May 16, 2025, the Government received TT $2 billion in royalties with bpTT and Heritage paying approximately $1.2 billion and $386 million respectively. During this period, Government also received $3 billion in share of profit from production sharing contracts with Shell and EOG Resources paying approximately $1.9 billion and $663 million respectively. It is important to note that these figures are unaudited (see chart 3).

As it relates to mining/quarrying, five entities, including two state-owned enterprises (SOEs), participated in the reconciliation exercise for 2022, contributing a reconciled total of $7,654,037 in payments to the government. The mining companies involved were Trinidad Cement Ltd, Hermitage Limestone Ltd, Lake Asphalt of Trinidad and Tobago (1978), Estate Management and Business Development, and Readymix Ltd.

In terms of oil and gas production, the Independent Administrator (IA) reconciled oil production to 21,127,220 barrels for 2022. Gas production was similarly reconciled to 947,749,899 million cubic feet for the same year. For the mining sector, mineral production reconciliation resulted in a total of 1,824,475 cubic yards in 2022.

Given energy price volatility and the decline in royalties, the question on everyone’s mind is clear: how will the nation adapt and ensure a sustainable future for its people, particularly as its once-booming oil and gas sector faces an uncertain road ahead?

The government has outlined plans for regional energy sector cooperation and tackling illegal quarrying. The TTEITI through its regional outreach efforts with Suriname, Guyana and Grenada and other Caricom countries has promoted transparent and accountable resource governance and has hosted several workshops aimed at promoting best practice in quarry rehabilitation and tax collection.

A vision for the future

T&T’s economic well-being remains deeply tied to the extractive industries. The decline in revenue presents both a challenge and an opportunity, an opportunity to rethink how the country manages its natural resources, boosts upstream investment, invests in more renewable power projects, and improves governance structures.

As the country seeks to determine whether these initiatives will provide short, medium or long-term economic gain, transparency remains a critical factor. The EITI framework continues to be the global standard for ensuring that the extractive sector is managed in an open and accountable manner.

 

 

 

 

Trinidad and Tobago in perfect place for clean maritime fuel industry

3 June 2025

Advancements in alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia and biofuels are gaining more attention as these fuels can provide energy for the industry without the fallout of high-carbon emissions as pressure on the maritime sector increases to mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions

At the Caribbean sustainable energy conference of the TT Energy Chamber on June 2, a panel of experts in the area including Roger Strevens, director of Methanex’s low carbon, regulation and advocacy department; Dr Tristan Smith of the UCL Energy Institute; commercial manager for Paria Fuel Trading Lydia Dindial; and chairman of the decarbonisation taskforce at the Energy Chamber, Dr Dale Ramlakhan all agreed that TT continued to be in the perfect position to capitalise on the changing tides in the global maritime sector.

Smith, who has been working on decarbonising the shipping industry for 15 years, said there was a shift in the industry toward alternative fuel, driven by regulations for the shipping industry. He said the Caribbean region, frequented by different ships across different routes, could use multiple pathways to decarbonising the sector but ultimately, a significant amount of investment would be needed for proper transition.

The International Maritime Organisation committed to an absolute emission reduction by fully transitioning to zero-emission fuels by 2050.

“Those absolute emissions reductions are happening at the same time that global trade is growing. When you put those two facts together you get that the average CO2 emissions has to be reduced by around 60 per cent by 2030.”

A transition that large would need a fundamental shift away from fossil fuels.

Cruise vessels dominated the Caribbean Sea and used the most energy with most islands utilising cruise ships more than ships for cargo, energy transporting and freight.

Strevens described the commitment as ambitious.

“Shipping is a huge, diverse industry. It is the original global industry. The increase in operational specifics, both commercially and technically and the economic set up is really wide-ranging.”

For the industry to transition at the scale it had committed to, a significant amount of investment is required. Investors needed to develop a long-term perspective on the maritime industry.

“There is a nice parallel between the shipping industry and its view on investment. A ship will typically operate between 25-30 years and they need to plan that far into the future. The same thing goes for fuel production. We need to think in decades.”

Methanol, of which Methanex is the world’s largest producer, is one of the best choices for decarbonising the maritime fuel industry, as methanol has multiple production pathways, is easy to handle because it could be stored at room temperature and is also cheaper to store.

“You probably already have heard about blue fuels (fuel produced by gases reused from another industrial purpose) and green fuels (alternative fuels produced through the use of renewable energy), but at this stage, those don’t cover the variety of different pathways that are possible to produce fuel.”

Different fuels could be produced with a variety of greenhouse gas intensity.

One type of fuel described by Dindial was hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) , a fuel produced with 100 per cent renewable oil, such as used vegetable cooking oil, palm oil and animal fats.

“It is very similar to petroleum based oil so it can be used for bunkers and can be used in tugs and launchers at airports.”

Paria’s first shipment of HVO was expected in late July or early August.

“We have customers that are already interested in that and we will be taking up this product at our port in Pointe-a-Pierre.”

Methanol was also a product that Paria was looking toward for bunkering. In August 2024, Methanex and its subsidiary Waterfront Shipping completed its first ship-to-ship methanol bunkering exercise in the Caribbean Sea. It was done in a demonstration that was made possible through collaboration with Paria Fuel Trading Company, NYK, Green Marine, Bunker Holding, Uni-Tankers and Dan Bunkering.

“We are looking to partner with producers in TT as well as the regulators. Our debunkering regulations are not in place for renewables in TT. So we have to push that with the regulators.”

Paria was looking at trade in the region for alternative fuels, along with increasing short-term storage capacity for renewable fuels.

 

 

 

Data shows potential for local wind assets

9 June 2025

A panel at the Caribbean Sustainable Energy conference believe wind power has a bright future in the region and is of particular importance to the petrostate and its petrochemical industry.

Augosto Bonzi Teixeira, energy specialist at the IDB, Kevin Atwaroo, power systems engineer at National Energy and Sheena Gosine, Energy International Relations and Affairs Advisor to the Minister of Energy and vice chair of the Wind Energy Steering Committee, agreed that wind power could play a crucial role in efforts to green the petrochemical production sector and produce low carbon commodities such as ammonia and methanol.

Wind energy has been a local topic of conversation for several ears, based on theoretic models and simulations, rather than robust actual data collected in the field.

Provisional wind resource data now available seems to be pointing in a positive direction. This data covers six months, rather than the full year required at a minimum for investors and paints a positive picture for the potential of wind power locally.

One of the challenges for a wind power investor is having sufficient data on the wind resources. This is critical since the design of the wind project and financing are predicated on the data that a wind resource assessment will provide. Without robust data there will be no investments in wind. For this reason, governments wanting to attract investments in wind, collect and make wind speed data available to potential investors, much as they do with seismic data to attract investors in oil or gas.

A wind resource assessment programme (WRAP) commenced in November with the deployment of two light detection and ranging devices (LiDARs) onshore at two locations which a previous Wind Roadmap study indicated showed the best promise for wind turbine deployment – namely Orange Valley and Galeota.

The two LiDARs were deployed to measure wind data to international standards for a period of 12-18 months, under the onshore WRAP and marked the first steps towards official wind energy deployment.

The Ministry of Energy with implementation agency, National Energy Corporation, led the WRAP which T&TEC supported . The project received support from the European Union (EU) for a consultancy to provide technical expertise for the conduct of the onshore WRAP.

At the conference, Gosine shared preliminary results of the WRAP. EU experts have been reviewing the data since November.

She reported that “preliminary results indicate, the wind resource at the Port of Galeota, is very good with a main wind speed of 7.8 metres per second at a height of 122 metres and reaching 8.12 meters per second at 202 metres above ground level. The fact that the wind is mainly blowing from the eastern direction will also be positive for the development of the future wind farms in this area.”

Gosine stressed that this was preliminary data but indicated it was very good news for the potential of wind power in TT.

 

 

 

Ministers tour Brechin Castle Solar Farm

2025, 07/11

The Brechin Castle Solar Farm, a joint venture of bp, Shell, and a subsidiary of the National Gas Company, welcomed key Government officials and stakeholders to its project site in Couva.

Attending the event were Minister of Energy Dr Roodal Moonilal, Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath, Minister of Housing David Lee, Minister in the Ministry of Energy Ernesto Kesar, Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities, Clyde Elder, along with other Government officials, invited dignitaries, executives and representatives from the joint venture shareholders.

The event began with a project briefing, detailing the progress made to date on the Brechin Castle facility, followed by a guided bus tour of the solar farm, providing guests with a firsthand view of the installation of thousands of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in place across the site.

Once operational, the Brechin Castle Solar Farm will represent the country’s largest renewable energy development to date, helping to diversify Trinidad and Tobago’s energy mix, lower carbon emissions, and deliver cleaner energy to the national grid.

The solar farm has installed capacity of 92 megawatts and is projected to be operational by October this year. It is due to provide clean energy equivalent to the needs of 31,500 homes.

 

 

Time to harness floating solar energy

June 2, 2025

President of NGC Green Company Ltd, Toni Sirju-Ramnarine suggested Trinidad and Tobago should explore the potential of floating solar energy systems. Sirju-Ramnarine told the Platinum Sponsor Panel at the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference 2025, Trinidad and Tobago, small islands where land is limited, the opportunity for floating solar should be explored. It is already being done in Jamaica at their Mona Reservoir where floating solar panels resulted in a 31% reduction in energy consumption.

The initial National Water Commission (NWC) Mona Reservoir Floating Solar of approximately 50KW has been installed since May 2022. The NWC has since announced plans to install a solar system in St James, Jamaica, with a capacity of around one megawatt. Beyond the region, countries in Asia are already deploying floating solar on both inland and coastal bodies of water.

“So it is something I would like to see in Trinidad and Tobago, especially if you couple it with bifacial solar panels where you are getting direct sunlight and also inflected sunlight from the water. It goes up to 30% efficiency. It is a little more expensive—but it is more efficiency. I think those…should be explored”.

Sirju-Ramnarine also underscored the untapped potential of biogas, saying it remains underdiscussed in regional energy conversations. NGC Green was proud to co-sponsor the launch of Barbados’ Rum and Sargassum Company’s first bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG) vehicle—powered by sargassum, blackbelly sheep manure and rum distillery wastewater. At the event, “Test Drive Zero”, in Barbados on September 17, 2024, bio-CNG powered a generator that charged an electric vehicle, showcasing its potential for sustainable transportation and electricity generation.

“We have signed an agreement with them to see if there is an opportunity to commercialise this not only for transportation needs in Barbados, but in Trinidad and Tobago too. The sargassum seaweed plagues all Caribbean countries, so we are solving a problem of marine habitat destruction, tourism, fishermen’s livelihoods, associated health hazards and putting it into productive and commercial use.”

Chief executive officer of ANSA McAL Anthony N Sabga III stated that the country should consider the potential of geothermal energy, “a very powerful and possible energy source”.

 

 

Sustainable energy progress still trails behind

June 2, 2025

While the region has made clear progress and holds tremendous potential in sustainable energy, implementation continues to lag behind ambition, Chair of the Energy Chamber, Mala Baliraj told the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference.

“Since we met here one year ago, there have been major shifts in the global landscape for sustainable energy. We have seen some major economies cancelling or restructuring previous policies, to encourage investments into lower carbon energy sources—the United States being the most obvious case.

Many other countries have either scaled back subsidies or pushed back regulatory deadlines that were driving the energy transition.”

As a result, major global energy companies have adjusted their ambitions for the energy transition. In several democracies there has also been pushback against ‘net zero’ ambitions by political parties.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that overall global investments into low carbon energy have continued to grow, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimating that total clean energy investment worldwide exceeded US$2 trillion in 2024; this includes renewables, electric vehicles, nuclear power, grids, storage, low-emissions fuels, efficiency improvements and heat pumps. This is double the estimated US$1 trillion going to coal, gas and oil developments

Regionally, strong interest continued in development of clean energy:

1. 1. 1. • Barbados set ambitious targets for renewables, outlined in the Barbados National Energy Policy (BNEP) document: to achieve 100% renewable energy and carbon neutral island-state transformational goals by 2030.
      2. • Guyana is maintaining its seven central themes in its Green State Development Strategy, even as it ramps up oil production.
      3. • Grenada’s National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) is the anchor for its development agenda and priorities.
      4. • Dominica is taking a lead in geothermal.
      5. • Jamaica is a forerunner with wind, solar and the shift to natural gas for power generation.
      6. • In Trinidad and Tobago, the first grid-scale solar project, the biggest in the region is due to come online later this year. Significant efforts advance for the introduction of low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture, low-carbon marine fuels and methane reduction activities.

“While there is clearly progress across the region and tremendous opportunities exist, the reality is that actual implementation lags behind ambition. Given the global shifts already identified, it is important that we take a hard and honest look at where we are and what we need to do to close that gap,” she said.

 

 

 

Cabinet members skip energy conference

No Cabinet members attended the opening of the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference which has previously drawn top-level government participation, including the Prime Minister and the Minister of Energy.

Barbados’ Minister of Energy and Business Development, Lisa R Cummins, delivered the keynote address virtually.

In the absence of Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and Minister Ernesto Kesar, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries sent a 23-member delegation, the largest from any organisation.

The conference, known for attracting the who’s who of the local energy landscape, featured high-level participation from major companies, including bpTT president David Campbell, ANSA McAL Group CEO Anthony N Sabga III, and Erik Keskula of Heritage Petroleum.

The theme for this year’s Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference 2025 is “Adapting and Recalibrating.” President and CEO of the Energy Chamber Dr Thackwray Driver, said in welcome remarks,

“We chose that theme to reflect the significant changes that have occurred in the past year in the broad area of sustainable energy, globally and regionally.

We thought it was important to discuss how we are adapting to the new realities, and to recalibrate our ambitions and our plans.

“There is a lot of uncertainty globally and it is important that as a region we come together to discuss these issues and how they impact on the investment climate and our policies and programmes.”

 

 

 

Atlantic LNG shipping rates continue to decrease

July 2025

Atlantic spot LNG shipping rates decreased to $48,750 per day .

May 30, 2025

Atlantic LNG freight shipping rates continued to decrease this week, while European prices fell compared to last week.

Atlantic LNG shipping rates continue to drop

By LNG Prime Staff May 16, 2025

Atlantic LNG freight shipping rates continued to decrease this week, while European prices also dropped compared to last week.

 

 

Kern Dass is chairman of new TSTT board

12 June 2025

The Ministry of Public Utilities said new directors of  Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd were advised of their appointments at its head office in St Clair.

The board members are:

1. Kern Dass chairman
2. • Randy Ramtahal,
3. • Nadira Prabhudial,
4. • Cassilina Kelshall and
5. • Kyle Maloney.

Dass brings to the role a wealth of experience in strategic planning, team leadership, and promoting a high-performance, service-oriented culture. Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath thanked the members for their willingness to serve.

He underscored the critical role of TSTT in the national digital landscape and encouraged the board to actively seek out and take advantage of growth opportunities in the rapidly evolving technology and communications sectors.

Padarath emphasised the importance of sustainability and sound corporate governance, highlighting their role in restoring public confidence and ensuring the long-term success of the organisation.

The ministry said it is confident that the new board – with its blend of industry knowledge, leadership acumen, and forward-thinking perspectives – is well-positioned to guide TSTT through its next phase of transformation and competitiveness.

NEL owns 51 per cent of TSTT’s issued share capital, while Liberty Caribbean, formerly C&W, owns 49 per cent.

 

TGU raises US$525 million

June 17, 2025

For the first time in nearly a decade, Trinidad Generation Unlimited (TGU) has returned to the international bond market, raising US$525 million to help refinance its existing debt and improve its financial footing. The State-owned power company priced a new eight-year bond at an interest rate of 7.75%, which investors will receive annually. The money will go toward buying back an older US$450 million bond that is due in 2027.

“Proceeds from the transaction will be used to fund the repurchase of TGU’s outstanding US$450 million of 5.25% senior notes due 2027. Originally issued in 2016 for US$600 million, these amortising bonds are the only notes the company has ever issued,” it stated.

The bond, which will be repaid in six parts starting in late 2030, drew strong interest from investors and was priced slightly better than early estimates.

“The State-owned power generator priced the eight-year senior unsecured note at a yield of 8.125%, tightening from initial price thoughts in the mid-8% area. Final guidance was set at 8.25%, plus or minus 12.5bp, before launch. The bond will amortise in six equal semi-annual instalments starting in December 2030,” it stated.

“The company is offering to pay US$1,009.50 per US$1,000 of original principal, adjusted by an amortisation factor of 83.33%, reflecting a prior principal repayment. The tender offer launched on June 2,” it stated.

Ratings agencies S&P and Fitch both gave the new bond BB ratings, with S&P noting the deal would improve the company’s cash flow and liquidity. Fitch said the move would help TGU cut down its debt over time.

In a June 6 report, S&P described the transaction as a “pure liability management initiative” that would improve liquidity and extend the average debt tenor to over five years. S&P and Fitch respectively assigned BB+ and BB ratings to the new notes, with S&P revising the company’s outlook to stable from negative. S&P highlighted TGU’s strong liquidity position, with US$236m in cash as of March.

Fitch cited TGU’s strategic role in Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector, its status as a State-owned enterprise and the stability of its revenue stream, underpinned by a long-term power purchase agreement through 2041.

Fitch also noted the refinancing is expected to support “structural deleveraging”, with leverage projected to decline to around six times Ebitda, down from 11.6 times in 2022.

Deutsche Bank led the new bond offering, while CIBC and First Citizens Bank acted as co-managers. This marks a broader return to global markets for Trinidad and Tobago.

The government itself raised US$750 million in 2024 after getting high marks from the IMF for its economic recovery.

Trinidad and Tobago last accessed the bond market about a year ago. The sovereign raised US$750m through a ten-year bond in June 2024 that priced to yield 6.4% after receiving praise from the IMF for its economic recovery and strong external position.

TGU owns and manages a major fuel-efficient 720-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power plant in Trinidad and Tobago. The TGU facility is the largest combined-cycle power plant in the region and currently supplies approximately 50% of Trinidad and Tobago’s electrical energy. TGU is owned by the National Investment Fund Holding Company Limited (NIF); the latter is a wholly owned entity of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

TGU is fully staffed by nationals whose exceptional expertise and performance allow it to meet the rigid standards of health, safety and environment, as well as operability and reliability of the facility.

 

 

 

New T&TEC board

2025, 06/18

Minister of Public Utilities Barry Shiva Padarath welcomed newly appointed members of the board of the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) who received official Letters of Appointment today.

Former T&TEC executive, Anil Kamal, has been appointed chairman.

Other board members are: Raymond Cozier, Chair of Mayaro-Rio Claro Regional Corporation, Ravita Babwah, Kevin Gurbani Beepath, Curtis Boodoo, Dana Mahase, Roshan Tota Maharaj, attorney, Taramatie Mongroo, Gerrard Small

Minister Padarath thanked the board for their willingness to serve and encouraged them to focus on increasing productivity at the Commission.

 

 

 

 

Central Bank’ Report

Higher energy output driving growth

2025, 06/14

The Central Bank’s monetary policy report states that domestically, economic activity will be buttressed by the stabilisation of energy sector output and modest expansion of the non-energy sector over the short to medium-term.

Improvements in energy sector production observed during the fourth quarter of 2024 are anticipated to spillover into 2025. Natural gas production is projected to improve following the start up of bpTT’s Cypre field in April 2025, and production would also experience upticks from EOG’s Mento field.

In the non-energy sector, prospects for public sector wage settlements could underpin business and consumer optimism. Continued credit expansion alongside improvements in several supplemental indicators of non-energy sector activity, such as cashless payments, suggest aggregate demand may remain buoyant.

• Labour market conditions are likely to stabilise following an increase in the unemployment rate in 2024.
• Employment growth is expected in a few sectors, particularly the community, social, and personal services sector and construction (including electricity and water) sectors.
• Headline inflation is expected to rise in the short term given challenges on the international trade front.
• During the third quarter of 2024, overall economic growth was bolstered by an expansion in energy sector production.
• This represented the first year-on-year improvement in the sector’s output in nearly two years and growth conditions were further supported by improved non-energy sector output.
• Indicators monitored by the Central Bank also suggested that the positive performance of the energy sector extended into the fourth quarter of 2024 and was complemented by improved activity in the non-energy sector during the period.
• Based on data from the Central Statistical Office (CSO), real GDP improved by 2.0 per cent (year-on-year) in the third quarter of 2024. This reflected improvements in energy and nonenergy sectors (2.1 per cent and 1.9 per cent, respectively).
• Energy sector increases were broad-based as higher output was recorded for several commodities, prompting improved performances across several sub-sectors.

Economic conditions continued to improve in the fourth quarter of 2024 and energy sector output was bolstered by heightened production among upstream participants. Non-energy sector activity improved in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to estimates from the Central Bank’s Quarterly Index of Real Economic Activity (QIEA).

 

 

Piparo Mud Volcano evolving, warn UWI researchers

July 2025

Devices set up by The University of the West Indies (UWI) on the Piparo Mud Volcano to monitor its activity have found that the system is evolving.

As a result of that, Piparo villagers were called to a meeting by a team from The UWI St Augustine, Geoscience Programme, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, on May 24, where they were made aware of the findings.

The team was led by Prof Oshaine Blake and PhD Geoscience candidate Kerneese Ramjarrie, who said preliminary data indicated increased activity.

While this was not an immediate cause for concern, it displayed the need for involvement from relevant agencies. Ramjarrie approached residents as a scientist.

“We wanted to have a chance to meet the residents, because the most recent dataset acquired in May, showed that the system was evolving, and we wanted to share this data with them.”

Through the resistivity data, “an x-ray of the ground”, she was able to get a picture of what is happening beneath the surface.

“This picture is limited to 100 feet in depth or 30 metres. From those resistivity surveys, we have 34 survey lines, each of them were 165 metres long and we ran those from January 2023 up until January 2025, every six months. With that we were able to see specific zones of resistivity,”

This data showed that one of the zones had a low level of resistivity.

“What that means is it’s a fluid-filled area, and because we’re in a mud volcano setting, we knew that it was the mud flow that we had imaged. We confirmed this with our borehole sampling. Then, we looked at all 34 survey lines and I was able to create a map that allowed me to visualise the full extent of the system.”

Comparing the data from January 2023 and January 2025, she said it indicated that the pressurised zones had changed, expanded in size, and had shifted towards the northwest.

“The body of these zones, from preliminary estimations, is actually four times the amount that was expelled during the 1997 eruption. All of this is very clear that the constant monitoring and early warning systems are very urgent in this area.”

With the present equipment, an exact date of eruption could not yet be pinpointed.

“We need to continue collecting more data and observation so we can see what correlates to what. We still have to figure out what changes mean what. The preliminary data points that the system is complex.”

“We are monitoring pressure and temperature, but pressure is not the only indication that an eruption can occur. There are other things that have to happen at the same time before the eruption occurs.”

These include cracks in the ground that are expanding and growing; more gas emissions; more ground deformation; changes in temperature; and even animals leaving the area.

“The system is dynamic, it is changing. But because we are monitoring it in greater detail, we have a better understanding. For us to be able to confirm with certainty if there will be an eruption, we are in critical need of funding, we do need more equipment to add depth.”

In February 1997, the mud volcano erupted, burying homes, vehicles, and property, and triggering an emergency response effort that lasted for weeks. The village was declared a disaster area and some 300 residents evacuated after mud spewed as high as 200 feet into the air, killing some livestock, and knocking out the electricity and water supply.

The main road into the village was buried, and an alternative permanent route to the area had to be developed. Some residents were relocated to a State housing development in Buen Intento, Princes Town.

 

 

 

4.9-magnitude earthquake

Jean-Marc Rampersad 2025, 06/24

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake shook Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday afternoon, the University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Centre (UWI‑SRC) confirmed.

The tremor struck at 4:20 p.m., with its epicentre located 67 km north‑north‑east of Port of Spain and 73 km west of Scarborough, at a depth of 20 km. According to UWI‑SRC social media posts, shaking was felt as far away as Grenada.

The event came just a week after a 3.9‑magnitude earthquake was felt across Trinidad and Tobago on June 16. The twin‑island republic lies within a seismically active zone where quakes occur periodically.

Authorities remind the public to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” during an earthquake. If indoors, drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on until the shaking stops. If outdoors, move to an open area away from buildings, utility lines, and anything that could fall. After the shaking ends, check for injuries and damage, and remain alert for aftershocks.