Rowley holds energy talks

PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his delegation yesterday held talks with officials of Shell in London where the PM is to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said Energy Minister Franklin Khan, Minister in the OPM Stuart Young and National Gas Company president Mark Loquan were part of the delegation which accompanied Rowley to the meeting at the Shell Centre.

Shell’s delegation included Maarten Wetselaar, Integrated Gas and New Energies director; De La Rey Venter, executive vice president, Integrated Gas Ventures; Derek Hudson, vice president and TT country chairman and Anders Ekval, business opportunity manager, Atlantic LNG. The parties agreed to establish empowered negotiating teams that will meet from the second half of May. These teams will work on a priority basis, on a number of matters including, but not limited to, Atlantic LNG and the socio- economic contribution of the LNG business to TT, extensions of various upstream production sharing contracts Venezuelan initiatives and new domestic gas arrangements.

The statement said it is expected that the negotiating teams will report back to their principals with agreements by September. Both parties agreed they are working towards the securing of the long-term future of the gas industry in TT. Rowley and his delegation will meet with officials of British Petroleum today.

On Twitter yesterday, the High Commission in London reminded TT nationals living there that Rowley will meet with them on April 23 at the Amba Hotel, Marble Arch, at 6 pm. After Rowley addresses the gathering, there will be a 30-minute question-and-answer segment.