PM visits Mento platform in La Brea

THE Prime Minister toured the Mento platform at the Trinidad Offshore Fabricators Unlimited (TOFCO) fabrication yard, La Brea, on November 13.

A release from bpTT on November 13 said the platform was in the final stages of construction as it gets ready to sail in the coming weeks.

Mento will be a 12-slot, manned facility in acreage jointly licensed by bpTT and EOG off Trinidad’s southeast coast.

The first gas is expected in 2025.

"The jacket – or base – will be loaded onto a barge, while the topsides will be loaded out within the upcoming days.

"First the jacket followed by the topsides will then sail to the east coast of Trinidad for installation at their final location, after which commissioning activities will commence."

The release said the Mento development is a 50/50 joint venture between EOG Resources Trinidad Ltd and bpTT, with EOG as the operator.

Dr Rowley toured the facility with leadership from EOG, bpTT and TOFCO.

Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Stuart Young, Minister of Labour Stephen McClashie, MP for La Brea Kennedy Richards and MP for Point Fortin and Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Kazim Hosein also attended.

David Campbell, bpTT president, said, "It was an honour to tour the Mento facility with the Prime Minister and colleagues from EOG.

"Mento is an excellent example of the power of collaboration to bring much-needed gas to market."

He said bpTT's partnership with EOG has grown and he was looking forward to the next project.

George Vieira, managing director, EOG Resources Trinidad Ltd, said: "We are pleased with the partnership between EOG and bpTT in exploring and developing oil and gas resources in the region.

"We want to thank TOFCO and our local contractors for the work done on the Mento platform. We look forward to continuing to partner with bpTT on our next joint development, Coconut."

Rowley previously visited the Dona Jose 2 vessel at Tembladora Port, Chaguaramas on October 11.

The Dona Jose 2 vessel, chartered by Geohidra, a Venezuelan company contracted by Shell, will undertake a geophysical and geotechnical survey from the Dragon Field to the Shell operated Hibiscus Platform, to acquire data with the vessel’s side scan sonar, multibeam echo sounder and other survey technology onboard.