Atlantic confident it will survive uncertain future

ATLANTIC CEO Dr Philip Mshelbila admitted yesterday that the company was surprised to receive news that the gas supply to its Train One beyond 2019 was uncertain but he was confident that the company would weather the outcome.

At Atlantic’s 11th annual CEO awards for innovation within the company held at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann's Mshelbila told the audience, “Even as we are currently evaluating options for that train I am confident that the courageous spirit exhibited by our founding parents and the talent resilience and passion that has defined our employees over the last 20 years will be exactly what will get us over this current challenge as well.”

Just two weeks ago, BPTT confirmed that because of “disappointing results” from its infill drilling programme in the Columbus Basin, it could not guarantee a gas supply to Train One in 2020, leading to speculation that the upgrade and extension programme for Train One could be put on hold.

Mshelbila emphasised the company’s need to evolve, even as it celebrated its 20th anniversary and 4,000th liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment this year.

“How we view our circumstance plays a key role in how we respond to them. Now is not the time to sit on our laurels of the last 20 years great as it might be, nor cower in fear.”

The future of the company is in its people, he noted, especially the finalists for this year’s awards, which included a business integration map that allows real-time access to data, a plastics recycling programme, training for firemen, and extending the jetty to access longer boats.

The winner, though, was a variable cycle design for the molecular sieve dehydrator beds. Molecular sieves are used to separate molecules of different sizes and the dehydrator helps remove water from the natural gas during the LNG process.

The team, headed by lead engineer Denille Suchit, figured out a way to extend the lifespan of the sieve beds, reduce the volume of greenhouse gases produced by the company and save Atlantic nearly US$750,000 annually.

“(In these projects) I saw the passion, the knowledge and the resilience that will lead us into the future,” Mshelbila said.