Caption: MP for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West Stuart Young at a press conference on Monday at Balisier House. AZP News/Alicia Chamely
By Alicia Chamely
SOURCING gas from Grenada at this stage is not a feasible concept as there are no proven reserves or infrastructure for extraction.
Member of Parliament for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West and former prime minister Stuart Young held a press conference on Monday at Balisier House, Port of Spain to address statements made by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar regarding on the commercialisation of gas reserves in Grenada.
On Saturday’s swearing-in of the cabinet, Persad-Bissessar said, “I have a surprise for you. I intend to send my Minister of Energy to Grenada, because I have been told, Grenada offshore has more gas and oil than the Dragon field.”
In response to this statement, Young said, “At this stage, I would caution about this concept. Whilst I hope that there are significant hydrocarbon resources, the fact is that since 2018 to now, there has been no progress on this, and there are no proven reserves with one well being drilled. This certainly means it is very far from any commercialisation.”
@azpnews.com Stuart Young says the Prime Minister’s dismissal of the Dragon Gas deal is irresponsible , he was speaking at Monday at a press conference held at the Balisier House. Video: Alicia Chamely @stuartyoungtt @officialpnm.tt @pnmnyl1 @pnmredarmy @youthforpnm #PNM #discussions #meeting #Dragongas #EnergySector #pressconference
He said more exploration would be needed to confirm reserves, from there it would need to be assessed to see if the gas from those reserves was viable for commercialisation and infrastructure would need to be put in place to extract and transport the gas.
Young cautioned this process could take up to 15 years and given the nation’s economy was primarily energy based the government needed to focus on short to medium term solutions.
He said, “I am simply cautioning, saying to Trinidad and Tobago, at this stage, this is very far off from being feasible.”
Regarding Persad-Bissessar’s statement that her government would be in talks with Suriname and Guyana regarding tapping into their gas fields, Young once again said there are no proven natural gas reserves in either country.
He added that if gas reserves are found and an agreement is made to have it refined in Trinidad and Tobago, substantial infrastructural work would need to take place.
Young said that any pipeline constructed from Guyana or Suriname to Trinidad, would need to pass through Venezuelan waters.
Discussing the highly controversial Dragon Gas deal, Young said, “To hear that without any analysis, without any looking at documentation with respect to the Dragon Gas, for the Honourable Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar say the Dragon Gas is dead, we should not have put everything in the Dragon Gas, it is dead, is very very frightening and quite frankly irresponsible.”
Young said this was not a UNC or PNM issue and something that should not have been politicised.
He said, “It is very dangerous and quite frankly irresponsible for the future of Trinidad and Tobago.”
