Moonilal announces Shell TT gas production increase, partnership with Suriname

A ten per cent increase in gas production has been reported as a result of efforts by Shell TT to increase production from the Manatee field. Energy and Energy Industries Minister Roodal Moonilal announced this during the fourth sitting of the House of Representatives on June 23.

He said, in a short time, the government worked with Shell TT to discuss enhancing gas production by lending critical support.

In addition, Mooonilal said the June 17-20 Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit and Exhibition 2025 produced significant results.

He said the TT delegation met with Staatsolie, Suriname's National Energy, Oil and Gas Company, to discuss a partnership.

“They have asked us to assist them in locating and verifying financial capabilities of potential partners and investigate potential contractual agreements for gas projects. They have asked us to work with the state oil company to give the benefit of our expertise in commercial and contractual arrangements to support their bid to market gas and energy products.”

He said TT will also provide support for Suriname's LNG expansion programme and offer TT as a hub for marketing Suriname's products.

“The new players in the Caribbean energy basin have not yet developed. While they have been producing, they have no developed downstream capability. They have not developed marketing capacity and even global marketing reach which we boast about in TT through NGC, Phoenix Park and so on.

“So this is a co-operation we are developing now with the infant Surinamese downstream sector.”

He said TT will also be assisting Suriname with technical and institutional capacity building to bring gas to shore.

“They are looking at the help of TT to negotiate with the international oil companies for bringing gas on shore.”

He said Suriname is also looking at the option of importing LNG from TT, instead of their current source country of Mexico. Moonilal said the change would be far less expensive for Suriname.

He said the government also spoke with France-based company Total Energies, which was active in TT between 1996 and 2013, about its possible return to TT to participate in deep-water exploration and production.

He also noted meetings with US-based Fulcrum Energy Solutions about its gas exploration and protection venture with ExxonMobil and Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas.

“We are discussing with them a technical agreement for a work development co-operation with NGC.”

He said he will also be meeting with a Grenadian company on June 23 to deepen discussions on a gas partnership for offshore exploration.

He also announced that the Government has been in touch with the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber which has pledged to give its support to companies in TT.