Easing of restrictions on the supply of gas to the Point Lisas Industrial Estate and Atlantic LNG is expected from next month. An online report by Interfax Global Energy quoted Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine as saying that this will be the result of production flows from the startup of BG Group's four-well Starfish field.The project, which involves the drilling of four subsea wells and a ten-km subsea tieback to the Dolphin A platform, is on schedule for the fourth quarter of this year.
According to Interfax calculations of Energy Ministry data, the start-up of the Starfish field will see BG lift its share of total gas production from 23 per cent to just over 28 per cent. BG has produced an average of 26.8 million cubic feet per day (MMcm/d) this year.The Starfish field, discovered in 1998, straddles Block 5(a) and Block E and forms part of the East Coast Marine Area (ECMA). ECMA is operated by BG Group subsidiaries on behalf of the joint venture with Chevron T&T Resources SRL, with each holding 50 per cent participating interest.Over the last two years there have been gas curtailments due to significant maintenance work by bpTT, the country's largest gas supplier. This had a negative effect on production by downstream LNG and petrochemical plants and for the first few months of 2014 there were average daily swings in production on a month-by-month basis by as much as 400 MMcm/d. This followed bpTT's decision to take its Savonette well offline.
Interfax said the intermittent curtailments had cut supply by around 20 per cent since February. As a result, average daily gas production was down by 1.2 per cent year on year, while utilisation fell by 0.8 per cent, according to data from the Energy Ministry. Production has fallen by 5.1 per cent in T&T since 2010, while utilisation has fallen 4.7 per cent. It is estimated that the Starfish output will boost average daily production by just over five per cent. BG said approximately 6.2 MMcm/d will be supplied to state-owned National Gas Company and Atlantic LNG.Interfax also reported that well completions appear to have stalled and this year's total number likely to be flat on 2013.
The report stated: "Completions more than doubled in 2010, and increased by more than 30 per cent in 2011. The country is also struggling to expand its LNG industry. Trinidad's LNG exports are down by 3.4 per cent6 from 1.68 bcm per month in 2013 to 1.63 bcm per month between January and August 2014. Exports have remained flat over the last four years, with an average of 1.62 bcm per month in 2012 and 1.63 bcm per month in 2011."Audits of T&T's gas reserves show a downward movement in proven gas resources from 2002 to 2013, with the country largely unable to replace the gas that has been produced.