GEISHA KOWLESSAR-ALONZO
Trinidad and Tobago has officially been granted an Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licence from the United States Treasury Department to pursue the development of the Dragon Gas project.
This is according to Attorney General John Jeremie who made the announcement at the press conference which took place at his office yesterday.
The licence, which permits Trinidad and Tobago to engage in cross-border energy collaboration with Venezuela, follows a formal request submitted on May 19 by the United National Congress government. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had previously signaled that the licence was imminent, noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had approved the request, although no timeline had been confirmed until now.
Jeremie, in responding to questions from the media, did not disclose the terms and conditions of this latest development but expressed confidence that it would be beneficial for T&T.
However, he said it differs from the last OFAC licence in that this one is being given in stages.
The first stage, which runs for six months until April 2026, is for negotiations with the Venezuelan government that would set commercial targets for US companies.
He added that the targets are "reasonable" and attainable.
He also did not share what role Shell plays in this latest development and what role the energy giant is continuing to play in the deal.
On December 21, 2023, the Venezuelan government issued a 30-year licence to the NGC (National Gas Company) and Shell to develop and export natural gas from the Dragon gas field to T&T.
The OFAC played a key role in granting this licence under the then Joe Biden administration.