T&T
needs more natural gas, says Minister Saith
By
Juhel Browne
Trinidad Express
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com 04 02 07
Energy Minister Dr Lenny Saith said
yesterday while existing gas-based projects were
not at risk, there was not enough natural gas available
to set up another Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) train
by 2009.
As such, the exploration of the
Loran/Manatee field of natural gas estimated to
hold ten trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven reserves,
has now become a high priority for Government.
Of that ten tcf, 27 per cent or
roughly 2.6 to 2.7 tcf belongs to Trinidad and Tobago.
"For existing commitments for
plants that we have and for plants that we have
approved, we have the gas for that. Loran/ Manatee
is important if we are to go for another train of
LNG because it does provide a large enough volume
to support another train of LNG," Saith said.
He made the disclosure while speaking
to reporters during yesterday's post-Cabinet news
conference at Whitehall, Port of Spain.
An energy sector source said yesterday
a fifth LNG Train could require as much as four
tcf over a 20-year period and that additional sources
of gas must be acquired apart from the Loran/Manatee
field.
Atlantic LNG Train IV, located at
Point Fortin, uses 800 million cubic feet of gas
per day.
Trinidad and Tobago is now able
to access the 2.6 to 2.7 tcf in the Loran/Manatee
field, because of a framework unitisation agreement
now in effect with Venezuela.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning signed
the agreement with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
during their meeting in Caracas on March 20.
Saith
said it "is now operational" and will
now "provide the basis for us to move forward,
in the first instance with the unitisation of the
Loran/Manatee field".
Trinidad
Express
Friday, March 30th 2007
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