Moonilal: Open door to Nutrien and others

Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Dr Roodal Moonilal -

ENERGY Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal says government is maintaining an open-door policy with respect to the future of Nutrien in TT. Addressing the post-cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's on November 20, Moonilal said, "We continue to have an open-door policy as it relates to the petrochemical sector and all players, including Nutrien."

Over the last two weeks, he continued, the ministry has been in touch with the company.

"We are quite prepared to discuss at an appropriate time, future investment and future projects involving Nutrien and others in the downstream sector."

Moonilal repeated, "So the doors remain open and we will continue to work with all players in the downstream sector.

He recalled Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said TT is open for business.

Moonilal said a key focus of government's revitalisation master plan which was recently unveiled "is of course the energy sector and the energy hub."

In a release on October 23, Nutrien announced it had fully shut down its Trinidad operations, sending 600 workers on the breadline.

The shutdown came after a collapse in last-minute negotiations with the National Energy Corporation of TT (National Energy) over port and pier facility fees.

In response to a question from former energy minister, Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young in the House of Representatives on October 25, Moonilal said government is in discussions with global nitrogen and agro chemicals producer Nutrien with a view to “revitalising our strategic partnership.”

Moonilal also repeated his earlier statement about the successful completion of bpTT's Cypre project and its ability to foster energy sector growth.

He predicted natural gas production could increase by a significant amount in light of other projects expected to come online.

"The benefit from this is this is an ongoing project."

Moonilal added, "This brings much needed gas to TT."

This gas, he continued, would be used and distributed "to our customer base from the perspective of the NGC (National Gas Company)." Moonilal hoped the gas from Cypre would "ensure that we have a boost in our revenues as well."

He said, "it will mean extra revenue."

In an earlier statementm bpTT said four wells were drilled and completed at the end of 2024, with the first gas delivered in April this year.

"The project team has now drilled, completed and commissioned the remaining three wells."

The company said, "At peak, Cypre is projected to deliver about 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (about 250 million standard cubic feet of gas a day). Cypre is bpTT's third subsea development."

The statement quoted David Campbell, bpTT president, as saying the completion of these wells and the gas delivered mark a safe and successful delivery for bpTT.

The Cypre gas field is about 78 kilometres off the southeast coast of Trinidad, within the East Mayaro Block, at a water depth of about 80 metres.

Cypre is 100 per cent owned by bpTT, which is owned by bp (70 per cent) and Repsol (30 per cent).

In a Facebook post former energy minister Stuart Young congratulated bpTT on the success of this project.

"This augurs well for TT’s gas production, replacing some of the ongoing natural gas decline taking place.,"

Young said, "As can be seen from the independent timeline, this was negotiated and a final investment decision taken between 2017-2023. We negotiated this project with bp, and thankfully, we were able to ensure it with first gas production starting on April 3, 2025."

He added, "It was a proud day when we visited the ships that came to lay the pipelines for Cypre in November 2024," Young said.