NiQuan ‘ready to operate’ but government witholds gas

Oil and gas company NiQuan, in as statement on Monday, said that it was ready to operate at capacity but government continued to withhold its gas.

The statement said, “Following NiQuan’s full compliance with the prohibition notice issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Authority and Agency (OSHA) on June 21, OSHA issued a certificate of compliance on August 23.

“The NiQuan GTL plant is completely functional. The only reason the facility is not currently online is due to the lack of the minimum daily quantity of gas supply which the Government of TT, through TT Upstream Downstream Energy Operations Company Ltd, agreed to provide to NiQuan.”

The energy company said it was working with Government to come to a resolution but it was preserving its legal remedies in relation to the terms surrounding its gas-sale contract with government.

The statement came hot on the heels of the Energy Minister’s response to questions on NiQuan posed in the lower house on Friday last, to which he said: “As far as I am aware NiQuan has not resumed operations.”

MP for Couva South Rudaranth Indarsingh asked questions on investigations into the death of Allanlane Ramkissoon, a pipe fitter employed by Massy Energy, who died after an accidental flash fire at NiQuan's Point-a-Pierre gas-to-liquids plant in June.

Young said that OSHA issued a prohibition notice and was conducting an investigation into the matter and the Ministry of Energy also set up a multi-disciplinary team to conduct an independent investigation.

NiQuan, in August, filed an injunction against TT Upstream Downstream Energy Operations Company Ltd, to force the state to resume its natural gas supply.

On August 21, High Court Judge Kevin Ramcharan dismissed the application. NiQuan appealed the injunction.