Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine is optimistic there will be no delays in the production of first gas from the $US2.1 billion bpTT Juniper Project which is due to come on stream by mid-2017.
He said the fields will produce close to 600 million cubic feet of gas daily to meet the demands of local industry, electrical power production and supply Atlantic LNG and along with other gas projects should make up for the shortfall in supply to clients on the Point Lisas Industrial Estate.
The minister spoke about the project yesterday after a tour of the Labidco Industrial Estate in south Trinidad. He said the US$150 million platform for Juniper should be completed next year. He said he was pleased with the progress of work on the platform being done by Tofco.
The minister's comments come against the backdrop of declining natural gas production in recent months, with output curtailments at Atlantic LNG.
Proven gas reserves have been falling over the last 15 years and are currently at 13 Tcf, down from a peak of 26 Tcf in 2006, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration data.
Over the last four years production has been flat, running between nearly 1.5 and 1.511 Tcf. Atlantic LNG has curtailed production due to declines in natural gas available to feed its four-train liquefaction and export terminal in Point Fortin.
Hopes for boosting production now hinge on the success of Juniper, as well as a deal with neighbouring Venezuela for exploiting natural gas under the Gulf of Paria between the two countries.
Ramnarine also visited the site of the US$1 billion Mitsubishi Dimethylether (DME) plant which he said is also running on schedule.
He said the project will create about 2,000 jobs at peak construction and 200 full time jobs when the plant becomes operational around 2017/2018. Construction of the DME plants is due to begin next year.
The minister said he envisions La Brea developing on the scale of the Point Lisas Industrial Estate to bring increased economic activity to Trinidad's south west Peninsula.