FOR more than 100 years, Trinidad and Tobago has been, in one way or another, involved in hydrocarbons.
La Brea was the location of the very first oil rig in 1857. Since then, TT’s economy has benefitted greatly from the production of oil and gas, building a massive energy sector through the exploitation of these hydrocarbons.
Where natural gas is concerned, TT has been the leader in production and manufacturing of downstream products from the hydrocarbon for decades.
The first discovery of natural gas within TT's borders was back in 1971, two years after government joined with Tesoro corporation to acquire the local assets of British Petroleum.
In 2010, TT peaked in its production, churning out 4 bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day).
However, since then, production has fallen by a third, now producing 2.6 bcf/d, amid natural declines in resources.
This has prompted the government to seek new frontiers – new territories as sources for gas production.
The Manakin-Cocuina gas field, one of three gas fields which straddles the borders between TT and Venezuela, is one such region.
Late last month, the US government through the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) awarded TT a licence to explore and exploit gas from the field.
This is the latest among a list of new projects, deals and licences to access fields, which could, if each comes online, see increases in production from as early as 2026.
Gassing up
On May 29, Energy Minister Stuart Young made the announcement on the new OFAC licence.
It will give TT access to an estimated one tcf of natural gas. Two-thirds of the field is in TT waters – Block 5b, run by bpTT – while a third is in the Cocuina territory in Venezuelan waters.
In May, Young said the licence lasts until May 31, 2026.
Sources pointed out to Business Day, TT’s side of the field is less than 30 km from bpTT’s Juniper platform, which aggregates gas from its juniper field.
This platform has a tie-back (a subsea production infrastructure with a line back to the gas network) to the Savonette platform.
[caption id="attachment_1088186" align="alignnone" width="683"] BpTT's Joe Douglas rig in its Cypre field. - Photo courtesy bpTT[/caption]
While neither the company nor the Government has confirmed their plans for the field, bpTT’s existing infrastructure could prove beneficial to fast tracking progress, and making it more possible for TT to achieve first gas within a few years’ time.
Fields such as Manakin-Cocuina can produce up to 300 mmscf/d (million standard cubic feet per day) for the first five years after first gas
, Business Day understands.
Young said at this moment it too early to predict a timeline for first gas for Manakin-Cocuina, but assured that the Government is pushing to commence production as soon as possible.
“The specific OFAC licence that has been granted to the Government of TT for us to negotiate with Venezuela to produce the Manakin-Cocuina field is continued good news and progress for TT and our future gas production,” Young sai
