Khan: It’s a private matter

However, Khan has said the dispute is between private companies and he cannot get involved.

Ramdeen, at a media conference held at Suite 404, Long Circular Mall, St James, called on Khan to mediate in the Parenco Trinidad and Tobago and Mora Oil Ventures dispute which led to Mora halting production in the Teak, Poui and Samaan offshore fields in east Trinidad in December 2015.

Ramdeen noted Parenco is the operator of the fields while Petrotrin and the National Gas Company (NGC) each own 10 percent, which means a minimum of 20 percent of government shareholding.

“The Ministry of Energy and the Minister of Energy cannot simply sit back and say this is a private matter between two commercial entities. There is a public stakeholding in this matter and the Minister of Energy has a duty to act under the Petroleum Act and resolve this matter.” He said workers employed with Mora, who were at the media conference, and all affected stakeholders are calling on Khan to act.

“We are not threatening court action, as yet, but we are calling on the Minister of Energy to do what is right and to exercise his powers - bring this parties together and resolve these matters so that these people that you see here today could start back working.

They could start back providing for their families. These companies can start back producing oil and the people of Trinidad and Tobago can start back collecting the royalties and taxes that they are due from the production of oil off the east coast.” Lennon Richardson, operation technician 2, said, “We are not in the habit of asking for handouts but being unemployed since December 2015, all we are really asking is for the Ministry of Energy, the Minister of Energy to intervene and just have a speedy resolution of this issue so everybody could get back their lives together.” He said when oil is taken out of the ground it is metered and this issue surrounds a report where Mora was challenging the fact that Repsol, which was later taken over by Parenco, were putting forward figures which they knew did not properly represent what was being taken out of the ground.

“And therefore the Minister of Energy said it was in the interest of all the stakeholders to get this meter back on the platform working properly, install new meters if we have to.” He said they have proposed to the Energy Minister and to Parenco that they are prepared to purchase and install new meters, which is a cost that should be shared by all the parties. “This is not a well that is producing two or three barrels of oil per day.

This is an oilfield that has 200 million barrels of oil and if it is that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago cannot properly measure what is taken out it puts them in a very embarrassing, prejudicial position in terms of collecting revenues and royalties from what is taken out of the ground.” Ramdeen stressed if what is taken out of the ground is undervalued and there is a lower figure it not only affects the revenue of Mora but it affects the ability of the ministry and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to collect what is actually due to them.

He recalled that when the Energy Minister had meetings with Parenco and with him, “(Khan) indicated that this was a matter that could be easily resolved.” He reported the minister agreed to have all parties meet to resolve the issues.

He said Parenco said they would be free to negotiate with legal proceedings “hanging over their head” and in response Mora chose to withdraw the action they had begun.

Khan, contacted yesterday, said he met with Mora and Parenco as well as oil companies operating in Trinidad.

He said the impasse is about a sales and purchase agreement which is between two private companies and he offered to assist in the metering of the oil and the type of meters. He added he cannot be involved in the resolution of the impasse.

“They have to sort out their issues. The ministry is willing to assist in metering, where it is placed, the type that have to be used and the accuracy.” He confirmed Petrotrin and NGC have a stake in Parenco but not the Mora fields.