MP Lee: Is Heritage sacrificing Infrastructure integrity for profit?

Weekend’s oil spill in Fyzabad has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the key assets such as pipelines, equipment and all infrastructure, specifically those running through residential communities, utilized by Heritage Petroleum Ltd to the point that we must ask as a nation, is Heritage Petroleum sacrificing key asset integrity as well as maintenance for the sake of generating high profits ?

It is of national concern that the very weekend when Heritage’s billion-dollar profit was announced, four families in Fyzabad were displaced while an entire community was disrupted inclusive of damage to its key drainage infrastructure as a result of an oil leak from pipelines belonging to Heritage.

As the state’s oil company, taxpayers have a right to know what is the cause of these significantly detrimental occurrences on a consistent basis as this is the second time in six months this has occurred given the on-land oil spill in Guayaguayare in February and third in as many years taking into account the spill in the Godineau River which affected Woodland residents in 2020.

Events such as this warrant a public enquiry into the asset management of Heritage specifically as it relates to the company’s timely monitoring, maintenance as well as the integrity of its assets such as pipelines for the preservation of the environment, communities and human life.

Is it that Heritage lacks the proper asset maintenance personnel as was once hired at Petrotrin? Is it that Heritage is disregarding the proper asset integrity and maintenance methods once used by Petrotrin? These are serious concerns which the Minister of Energy must address.

It is key that Heritage works with the Member of Parliament for Fyzabad to ensure proper compensation for the affected residents and community.