TRINIDAD AND Tobago want to be one of the world leaders in increasing gas production in order to wean other countries off the reliance on Russian energy resources amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

The twin-island is the largest gas supplier in the Caribbean and was ranked as one of the world’s biggest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to BP.

T&T’s Minister of Energy, Stuart Young, told CNN that the country has been a significant contender in energy resources for the past few decades.

Young said: “What you have to look at is what globally other countries can do to help contribute by ramping up production.

“That’s where we want to come in and assist. There’s another conversation taking place in terms of weaning yourself off of gas, we see it as completely different. 

“There’s the whole renewable conversation which we are in support of, but we ses gas as the cleanest hydrocarbon fossil fuel. We actually think gas is going to be around for decades. In Trinidad, 99%of our electricity needs are derived from the natural gas that we produce. 

“So, how does the rest of the world and in particular Europe deal with its current energy crisis? They have to look at where there is an alternative supply of natural gas and hey, Trinidad and Tobago is one of those places.”

The plans for T&T to increase gas production comes after West African nations have voiced concerns about oil production following a decline in demand since the global pandemic hit in 2020. 

They have faced a surge in prices as China and countries in the West turned towards more renewable green options.

However, Mr Young claimed that T&T’s gas resources have surged as the world emerges from the pandemic and is producing about 770 million mmbtu of LNG a year at its peak, increasing the Caribbean country’s revenue.

He added that it was also a supplier of petrochemicals and is producing tonnes of ammonia and other petrochemicals annually.

“As a government we are really making revenue increases off of taxation, but coming out of the pandemic we have bills,” he said. 

“So we will be paying our bills. The government revenue is used to look after about 1.4 million people here in T&T. We will be spending it on our education and other things that are necessary for the people.”

Young’s comments were, however, later shot down by the Shadow Minister for Energy, David Lee, who labelled the Minister “delusional” for claiming that the country’s revenue is increasing due to the global rise in natural gas and ammonia prices because of the Russian-Ukraine conflict.

He said that T&T was experiencing its “worst natural gas production in decades.”

“Energy Minister Stuart Young is either totally delusional, has lost all sense of understanding of the national energy sector or opted to wilfully deceive CNN and the international community yesterday with his false comments on the state of our energy affairs,” he said.

“Minister Young’s statement that this country was ramping up gas production to meet the needs of the global community was not only a proven lie but it was a brazen attempt to mislead the international community given this nation is actually experiencing the worst Natural Gas Production in decades.”

He added: “Is Minister Young living in a fantasy world? This is a government that had no gas for Train one, causing over 400 million of taxpayers’ money to be wasted and the eventual collapse of Train one yet Minister Young tells the world we are ramping up gas production.”

“Is Minister Young unaware of what is going on in his Ministry? This is a Government that has averaged 2.8 bscf of gas production so far for the year, falling way short of the 3.3 bscf promised for 2022 in the Budget yet Minister Young tells the world we are increasing production.”