Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada discuss sharing energy expertise

Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonila, second from left, with Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, second from right, and other Grenada officials at an official visit in Grenada from August 23-24. -

ENERGY MINISTER Dr Roodal Moonilal said TT is ready to support Grenada in the development of its oil and gas sector, following high-level meetings with Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and other officials on that island.

It is hoped this collaboration would allow for the transfer of skills and technology, which in turn would bring mutual benefits to the people of TT and Grenada through jobs, income, and opportunities, a media release said on August 26.

The release said Moonilal met with Mitchell, Grenadian AG Claudette Joseph and chairman of Grenada’s Hydrocarbons Technical Working Group Nazim Burke among others over a two-day period, August 23-24.

The release said on May 3, Persad-Bissessar mandated Dr Moonilal, after his swearing in, to urgently engage with the Grenadian government with a view to fostering collaboration in the energy sector.

At that ceremony, Persad-Bissessar also said she was interested in gas talks with other Caribbean neighbours including Grenada, Suriname and Guyana.

The August 26 media release said, “In fulfilment of this mandate, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries promptly initiated contact through formal correspondence, which culminated in recent in-person meetings between the respective parties.”

The discussions focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration in the oil and gas sector, the release said.

Moonilal took the opportunity to highlight TT’s robust and well-established energy infrastructure, as well as the extensive experience and technical knowledge the country has gained as a long-standing global hydrocarbon producer.

It added that in 2012, the TT and Grenada had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for co-operation on energy development.

“This renewed engagement builds upon that MoU and signals TT’s readiness to share its oil and gas expertise in support of Grenada’s energy development,” it said.

Mitchell, who holds the cabinet portfolio for energy matters in Grenada, welcomed the opportunity for collaboration and expressed Grenada’s commitment to deepening partnerships with TT, especially in the area of support services as Grenada is at the early stage of assessing its hydrocarbon resource potential.

Moonilal reminded the Caribbean neighbour that TT’s energy infrastructure was open for business and remained a feasible option for the region to monetise its hydrocarbon resources.

In May, former Minister of Energy Stuart Young said it was presumptuous to get the country excited over gas reserves in Grenada that might not yield fruit. He said there was still a lot of exploration still to be done there,