Ministry of Energy and leadership of Petrotrin invisible
The Ministry of Energy and the leadership of Petrotrin have been invisible as it relates to the latest oil spill at Petrotrin. Where is the Minister of Energy? Where is the Chairman of Petrotrin? Where is the President of Petrotrin? Where is the Vice President Refining? The country needs to hear and see these office holders.
There has also been a plethora of conflicting numbers published as to the size and extent of the spill. The inconsistency in information creates room for suspicion and speculation. The Ministry of Energy also needs to tell the country what has become of the DNV national facilities audit that was commissioned in July 2015. Have the recommendations of this audit been actioned?
In light of the latest oil spill, Petrotrin, must also say why the tender process for the construction of bund walls for high risk storage tanks in the refinery was stopped in 2016. Bund walls contain the contents of tanks in the event of a rupture.
Following a vulnerability analysis, the former board and management of Petrotrin commissioned designs for bund walls for high risk tanks in the refinery. These designs were completed and a tender process initiated around August 2015 to procure contractors to build the bund walls. Proposals were received and evaluated.
The tender process was in an advanced stage when it was stopped. It is therefore a failure of the current Board and management that high risk tanks in the refinery have no bund wall. Had a bund wall been in place , the spilled oil would have been contained and this disaster averted.
Kevin Ramnarine, Former Minister of Energy