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U.S. to help Trinidad find partner to restart oil refinery
…Pres. Ali signals Guyana’s openness to collaboration
(Kaieteur News) – The United States of America has signalled its willingness to assist Trinidad and Tobago in identifying a partner to restart its state-owned Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, which was closed in 2018.
T&T Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the disclosure following talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
She told reporters that energy and security cooperation featured prominently during the bilateral engagement and revealed that Secretary Rubio has agreed to connect Port of Spain with the U.S. Department of Energy to help source a suitable partner for the refinery’s reopening.
“We discussed the reopening of the Trinidad refinery. As you know, we have been very serious about getting a refinery reopened, and Secretary agreed that he would put us on to their department of energy to assist us in seeking to find the best partner to open that refinery. We’ve had several persons so far with expressions of interest. Of course, at the end of the day, we choose the best that we think we can get,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She further noted that several bilateral engagements are also being pursued, including discussions with the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM Bank) and other states.
Recently, T&T’s Energy Minister, Dr. Roodal Moonilal, while attending a conference in Guyana, pointed out that the country could play a key part in the restart of the refinery. The minister had disclosed that the facility can process about 150,000 barrels of oil daily but will require petroleum from regional partners. At the same event, Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, disclosed that the two CARICOM states are already in discussion to look at the possibility of having that refinery restart.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali
Also, on the sidelines of the CARICOM heads meeting, President Dr. Irfaan Ali was asked whether Guyana is interested in assisting Trinidad with its plan to reopen the refinery.
President Ali noted that Guyana remains open to exploring avenues of support but stressed that any arrangement must be economically sound and aligned with national and regional interests.
He noted, “So wherever and however, we can integrate for the benefit of the region and benefit of our countries, we will, do that. Wherever and however. But you know, this requires constant evaluation and strategic decisions that are in the interest of our people, in interest of our country, in the interest of the region and economically viable.”
He also pointed to the longstanding commercial ties between the two CARICOM states. Ali said, “Guyana’s development has always been tremendously beneficial to Trinidad and Tobago, long before oil and gas. We are one of your strongest trading partners…and when the oil and gas sector started, Trinidad private sector benefited enormously from that oil and gas sector, and we did not have any restrictions on how Trinidad and Tobago participated in the oil sector.”
Moreover, Rubio in his address at the CARICOM heads meeting underscored Washington’s interest in deeper energy collaboration with Caribbean nations.
He said, “There are extraordinary opportunities for economic advancement, to work together on issues like energy. Energy is critical for the future; it’s critical for every economy in order to prosper.”
“Many of the countries represented here today have energy resources that I know you seek to explore responsibly, safely, but in a way that generates wealth and prosperity for your people and your countries, and we want to be your partner in that regard. So that’s another area of – that hopefully we can cooperate on very closely together. And I would add to that that part of the dynamics there is some of the regional – some of the regional opportunities that are occurring.”
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