WELL Services Petroleum Company Ltd (Well Services) has been stalling on its salvage operations at the collapsed Rig 110 where Pete Phillip went missing.
The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) on Monday stated via media release, “Well Services has not met their projected June 2025 commencement date for salvage operations. The issue of this delayed commencement and the reason for such has not been officially communicated to the MEEI by the company to date.
“The MEEI therefore calls on the company to officially provide timely notifications on the progress of salvage activity and the recovery of the victim.”
Minister in the MEEI Ernesto Kesar also appealed to all parties involved to move with a level of urgency, safety and compassion in an effort to bring closure to the family and loved ones of Phillip who went missing since December 22, last year.
The ministry also reminded all private and state-owned companies that all incidents within Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector must be reported to the MEEI under law, as it was the lead regulatory body within the energy sector.
This includes the continuous reporting on the status of remediating ongoing incidents.
The ministry stated it has been monitoring the progress of recovery and salvage efforts related to the Rig 110 incident that partially collapsed in the Heritage East Offshore Area.
These salvage efforts involve the recovery of tanks, fuels and fluids, raising the rig, cutting the legs and shifting the collapsed rig away from the well and refloating the rig for final disposal.
The salvage operation is expected to facilitate the recovery of Phillip.
In May, Kesar and a team of ministry technical officers received a briefing from Well Services – a company based in South Oropouche with decades of experience in the energy sector.
At that meeting, the projected time frame for salvage activity was laid out by Well Services, with the expectation that the salvage operation of the collapsed rig would begin in June.
Kesar asked the company, at that time, for salvage activities to be expedited and for Well Services to ensure compassionate and consistent support to the family of the victim.
At the beginning of this month, the MEEI also received an update from Heritage Petroleum Company Limited (Heritage) regarding the salvage of Rig 110.
This update highlighted that assets belonging to Heritage continues to be at risk near the collapsed area.
The MEEI further reiterated that as the lead government agency for oil and gas exploration, it was obligated, in the interest of all citizens, to protect all assets within the energy sector.
“As such, all channels of communication between the MEEI and its stakeholders remain open and the MEEI remains available to treat with urgency any regulatory approvals required so that the salvage operation can begin as soon as possible,” the ministry stated.
