Roget: More on refinery later

OILFIELDS Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) president-general Ancel Roget said the union will have more to say at a later date about the unsuccessful efforts of its Patriotic Energies and Technologies Company Ltd to acquire the former Petrotrin refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre.

At a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of labour movement founder Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler at the Fyzabad Public Cemetery on Saturday, Roget said Government believed the closure of Petrotrin in 2018 would have destroyed the OWTU.

He said when this did not happen, Government tried to entangle the union while it sought to acquire the refinery through Patriotic.

Roget claimed that while Patriotic did all it could to acquire the refinery, Government worked behind the scenes to ensure that Patriotic failed.

"All of that was just a ruse.

"At the apt time, not too long from now, we will be making a comprehensive statement on this issue of Patriotic.

"There is another proposal before them for the acquisition of those assets for which they have never responded to."

While not mentioning his name, Roget prayed for the soul of former energy minister Franklin Khan who died on April 17. "May he find peace with his Maker. God bless him."

On April 9, Khan said his ministry is working with the Ministry of Finance to develop a new request for proposal (RFP) for the sale of the refinery.

“In a couple of weeks, we will go out with a new request for proposal for the refinery. That is in the hands of the Minister of Finance (Colm Imbert).

My optimism is based on the fact that Heritage’s crude, which is heavy crude, is fetching a higher price than BP’s east coast crude. There is a market for a refinery of that nature.

“This government is adamant about restarting the refinery because it can create jobs, economic activity, multiplier effects and, most importantly, it will create foreign exchange.”

Khan added that after the sale, the State will no longer be involved in the refining business but will be focused on exploration and production which is the core business of Heritage Petroleum.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young was appointed energy minister on April 19 after Khan's death.

At that time, the OWTU said it would not comment on the matter until the RFP has been issued.

The refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre was closed in 2018 and government later opened RFPs for the sale of the facility. Government rejected the Patriotic's offer of US $700 million for the refinery, three times.