Govt,
BG eyeing another LNG train
By Roxanne Stapleton
Trinidad Express
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
03 25 07
The GOVERNMENT and BG Trinidad and Tobago yesterday
signed a memorandum of understanding for an 18-month
feasibility study which will determine whether the
much speculated about, Train X, will be built or
not.
Acting
Energy Minister, Pennelope Beckles, said the signing
represents the first tangible steps towards the
Government's "desire" to develop another
LNG train.
"Since
Government signalled its intent to expand our participation
along the entire LNG value chain, we have received
a number of proposals for partnership, including
proposals for regasification terminals in the US,
shipping facilities and additional liquefaction
facilities," Beckles said.
BG
Group chief executive officer, Frank Chapman, who
was at the signing at BG Trinidad and Tobago's Port
of Spain headquarters, said that BG has "the
largest regasification access to the US market"
among energy companies with 45 per cent of the pie.
"We
are producing today about 1.1 billion cubic feet
per day of gas. We're into our third billion dollars
of investment, we are key members of the Atlantic
LNG consortium, a plant which now produces around
16 million tonnes per annum," Chapman said.
"Just
recently we signed the heads of agreement to supply
1.2 trillion cubic feet of gas from Dolphin to the
domestic market ... it is a signal that we are responsive
to the Government's agenda-the Government signalling
quite clearly that the emphasis has moved away from
LNG export and back to it fuelling some of the very
significant industrial projects that are going to
be forthcoming here in Trinidad."
BG
Trinidad and Tobago chief of staff, Derek Hudson,
said the project panel and joint working groups
for the feasibility study will have its first meeting
next week with the Ministry of Energy.
While
BG Trinidad and Tobago's proposal came closest to
this administration's objectives, Beckles said she
extended an open invitation for proposals from other
companies, since the "project requires significant
investment in terms of finance, business expertise
and market knowledge".
Trinidad
Express
Friday, March 23rd 2007
Copyright
©2007 Trinidad Express. All Rights Reserved.
