Ministry Of Energy: No Privatization of Lake Asphalt and Petrotrin
MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND ENERGY AFFAIRS SAYS NO PRIVATIZATION OF LAKE ASPHALT AND PETROTRIN – OWTU AND CGWTU STATEMENTS BASELESS
The Ministry Of Energy and Energy Affairs (MEEA) categorically refutes allegations that the Government plans to privatize Lake Asphalt and Petrotrin. These allegations are baseless and unfounded and are designed to undermine the Government, destabilize the country, create fear and damage the national energy sector.
With respect to Petrotrin, on Tuesday March 18th 2014 Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine made a statement to Parliament in which he stated that the Government had no plans to privatize Petrotrin.
In a statement carried by the news media on Saturday March 22nd 2014 Ancel Roget alleged that:
“And the fact of the matter is that various acreages, including Moruga West, Inniss/Trinity, Catshill, Balata East and Oropuche, all of those fields have been farmed out and leased out to private interests.”
It is ironic that the fields named by Ancel Roget were put out before the current government assumed office. The MEEA has been able to confirm through Petrotrin that the fields listed by Ancel Roget were put out by way of joint venture, farmout or incremental production service contract (IPSC) arrangement during the period of the former PNM Government. This allegation is therefore false and can potentially mislead and misinform the population.
With regard to Lake Asphalt, the MEEA states categorically that no deal was signed in China to privatize LATT. The MEEA signed a non-binding MOU with the National Energy Administration of China that treats with cooperation in energy related matters. A number of areas for collaboration were itemized including oil, natural gas, LNG, renewable energy and CNG. Regarding Asphalt the MOU treats with research and cooperation: nowhere in the MOU does it state that Lake Asphalt will be privatized. In addition, contrary to reports in the media there is no plan to process raw asphalt in Point Lisas.
The MEEA calls on the Trade Unions at both Petrotrin and LATT to desist from jumping to baseless and injudicious conclusions that can harm the national energy sector.