Standing on the dock staring up at bpTT’s Cassia B, which is the size of a large hotel, one can become dizzy and disoriented. After, a few minutes however, the reality of what you are looking at can hit you like a bulldozer. This massive structure will soon be bobbing along the ocean, 40 miles offshore, producing 2 billion cubic feet of gas per day (bcfgpd) as the largest central processing unit in the world. “The deck will be situated 40 miles east of Trinidad,“ said Kamal Jaggernauth, operations manager for the Cassia B. It is 90 feet by 180 feet and weighs over 6,300 tonnes. The barge arrived in Trinidad on August 25 and the platform will be in place on the same date, said Jaggernauth, who was one of the tour guides for the facility recently, when guests, including the media were invited to get a look at the hub.
CEO of bpTT Robert Riley said the platform will allow the company to compress gas offshore, increasing its ability to boost local gas reserves. As an unmanned facility, it provides a level of safety that does not exist on other platforms, said Riley. bptt currently produces about 1.8 bcfgpd which is bought by ALNG and NGC. ALNG takes about 500 mcfgpd, while NGC takes about 600 mcfgpd, according to Jaggernauth. Cassia B is separated into a jacket walkway, a sump deck, utility deck, production deck and a compression deck, as you go up. It will be connected to Cassia A via the Atlantic Bridge Crossing. Cassia A holds the Helideck, main deck and a production deck. As part of the Kapok project, Cassia A has undergone major upgrades. They include: mothballing of process equipment, removal of electrical generators, re-routing of lines, a new control room, fire walls, and additional quarters for the workers of both platforms. As an environmental precaution, the existing flare system has been removed. This upgrade is about 90 percent completed.
The Cassia B platform has three main lines, the Bombax 48-inch pipeline, the Kapok 20-inch pipeline and the futuristic 36-inch NGC pipeline. The Bombax is the largest pipeline in Trinidad, said Jaggernauth. But the hub was not built for just three lines. As the largest (central processing unit) CPU, it has built-in foot prints for even more platforms to connect. According to Jaggernauth, one of these will be the new Cannonball project. The footprints are the base for the risers which will run from the main deck to the compressor deck. “There are also umbilical headers and this is a first for Trinidad because it allows us the opportunity to transport electricity through umbilical cables to remote locations like Kapok and Cannonball,” said Jaggernauth.
As a result Cassia B can generate power and produce water to send sub-sea to all remote platforms allowing it to fully support all the smaller platforms. “If you have one turbine that could make a lot of power and distribute it to more consumers than have isolated generators for each facility,” said Jaggernauth. The platform will have a minimum of ten people at any given time. The idea is to position the hub to operate independently without much manpower. Most of the workers will be on Cassia A which will contain the control facilities to operate Cassia B, added Jaggernauth. The question many are asking is whether the production capacity of 2.0 bcfgpd can be met by the reserves. According to bpTT, Kapok has proven reserves of 2.0 trillion cubic feet of gas per day and an additional one trillion in potential and compression reserves. “There is gas out there,” said Jaggernauth, All we need are the markets for them.”
Intercommercial Bank recently partnered with Caribbean Money Market Brokers (CMMB) to develop a new product for its customers. The Signature Portfolio is an investment service that can be tailored to meet an individual’s financial needs. Varun Maharaj, Managing Director of Intercommercial said the portfolio will afford investors capital appreciation combined with income generation by offering them various investment instruments including fixed income paper, hybrid repo, bank index funds, bonds, money market funds, secured investment certificates and equities. “Using vital information and working with our intelligence on the best and most current investment opportunities available locally and globally, I could craft a portfolio that exactly matches your specific needs.
I would be able to plot a financial course that produces your goals and objectives,” said Maharaj. He added that no signature portfolio is the same. The company held a formal launch at the Crowne Plaza last week to commemorate this move into banking history. Honoured guests included Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Conrad Enill and the newly appointed mayor of Chaguanas, Suruj Rambachan.
Estuardo Ortiz, Caribbean Business Unit Director, Marlboro, believes that the Marlboro brand of cigarettes can become the number one selling brand in the country. Marlboro is a product of Philip Morris Company, one of the biggest cigarette makers in the world. He told guests at Trotters Restaurant that Phillip Moris “was here for the long term” and that the company was always looking for trends and opportunities.
The Marlboro brand of cigarettes, he said, portrayed a place where there were no boundaries, no limits, self-esteem and success. “We are here for the long haul.” he added. The highlight of the evening was a short film on the history of Marlboro and how it started off as a woman’s cigarette. In time, the ubiquitous horse and cowboy were added, making it one of the biggest sellers of all time. In an interview later, Ortiz emphasised the point that TT was a cigarette market with potential. “Let people have a choice, let them decide,” he said.
Staff of the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) took part in a workshop recently that dealt with the implementation of Best Management Practices at the Institute. Fourteen staff members, selected from across the board, identified and proposed solutions on the theme: “Challenges we face in our efforts to increase the profitability of CARIRI’s services.” Workshop facilitator was Mohammed-Aminu Sanda, a PhD candidate at Sweden’s Lulea University of Technology, Department of Human Works Sciences. His prior position was that of design manager at the Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology and Industrial Service.
Benchmarking is a process of continuously measuring and comparing an organisation, product or process against leaders anywhere in the world, to gain information which would help that organisation take action to improve its performance. In other words, it could be a powerful tool for transforming an organisation. Sanda’s project addressed factors which impede implementation of best management practices. He believes that in any research and technological organisation (RTO), his “future workshop” methodology could be used as a tool to guide management toward continuous improvement. CARIRI is one of three RTOs selected for this benchmarking/best practices study. The others are in Ghana and South Africa. The exercise is sponsored by The Swedish Institute and Lulea University’s Department of Human Work Sciences.
THE MISERABLE performance of applicants taking the examination for entry into the Special Reserve Police (SRP) Service is deeply depressing. The sad results of this dictation test reveal not only the disturbing level of illteracy that exists among the ordinary citizens of our country but also the extent of the failure of our education system. We have known for a long time that our country is hampered by a literacy problem, but we had no idea that it was as grave as what this exam for would-be SRPs has disclosed. Indeed, it now seems that TT is burdened by a crisis of illiteracy and that a vigorous campaign with remedial programmes is urgently needed to address it.
The idea that a large percentage of our population cannot spell words in ordinary usage is not a situation we can be complacent about, at least not in the face of the challenge presented by the sweeping technological and economic changes now taking place in the world. It tells us that a large proportion of our people, perhaps a majority, are really not intellectually or educationally equipped to support the effort our country must make to prosper, to progress, perhaps even to survive, in the demanding and brutal business of the modern world. It is distressing to learn that of the almost 13,000 persons who wrote this SRP test, the vast majority were unable to spell such common words as “penalties,” “chaos” and “society.” Inspite of the fact that each applicant was allowed to make ten mistakes, the failure rate was nothing less than shocking. According to Head of the North Eastern Division, acting Senior Supt Waldron Bishop, the dictation test was a passage which dealt with the functions of the Government and some of the biggest words were “fundamental” and “confusion” while the simplest were “and,” “one” and “for.” Commenting on the results he said: “They just can’t spell and the passage was not read too fast.”
What Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police (South) Dennis Graham revealed to us about one candidate’s performance would be laughable if it were not so tragic. He said of the 138 words in the dictation exercise, the would-be SRP could only spell one — “robbery” — correctly. Mr Graham noted that almost 4,000 applicants wrote the exam in the Southern Division but only 615 passed the test. In the South Western Division, 343 passed while 529 failed. The Port-of-Spain, Western, North Eastern and Northern Divisions recorded 50 percent failures while in the Eastern Division 55 percent could not pass the simple test. The results were the same in Tobago, according to Supt Benjamin Watson, with a failure rate of 54.9 percent.
In our view, this exam and what it shows must be regarded as a wake-up call for our country, particularly for our young people. If the majority of 13,000 persons, given an allowance of ten mistakes, cannot pass a simple dictation test, then what does that say about the effectiveness of our education system? These applicants, wanting to become SRPs, are the products of several years of schooling, but it has left them unable to spell a number of words in every day use. They would like to respond to the government’s call for placing 1,000 policemen on the streets of the country, but their inability to write simple and proper English means that they are incapble of writing the kind of reports that are necessary for the job. It is sad to note that after “benefiting” from TT’s education system, their literacy level still cannot meet the simple requirements of the job they are applying for. We hope the lesson contained in this dismal situation penetrates into the skull of our young people.
Whenever a local sportsman does well on an international stage it always brings a feeling of happiness and pride. Well do I remember the joy of Brian Lara’s world record breaking score of 375 in international cricket. Well do I remember Ato Boldon sprinting to victory and before him Hasely Crawford. It is such a joy, such a pleasure in a world where so much that happens is so sad. Darrel Brown’s silver medal at the World Athletics Championship in France on Monday proves that this country can produce an athlete who can compete against the best in the world. And win! We can boast of his accomplishment especially since most of his training was done at home where the facilities and level of coaching can hardly be considered of the highest standard.
Ato Boldon, who has done his country proud and can boast of his own achievements, on Monday failed to make it past the semi-final round. One wonders if his association with the highly famed American sports management firm, HSI, of which Jon Drummond is also a member, is beginning to have any impact on him of late. Now I don’t know much about track and field rules and depend only on my own response to fair play and appropriate behaviour but seeing the American sprinter, Jon Drummond’s display of unsportsman like conduct in his quarter-finals heat on Saturday, was to me confirmation of my long held view that Americans believe they are a law unto themselves and can do as they please anywhere or anytime. Once you drape yourself in an American flag you become monarch of all you survey.
Drummond refused to leave the track following his disqualification and, believe it or not, his coach ran onto the track to advise him not to accept his disqualification! It showed how much the Americans believe they are God’s gift to the world and that nobody can tell them differently. Drummond’s lie-down protest on the track was improper, unsporting and brought the sport of athletics into disrepute. He lay on his back on the track, argued with officials and gestured to the crowd in an angry, tearful tirade which threw the schedule into chaos for nearly an hour. Would any other athlete from any other country get away with such behaviour? And what was this performance by Drummond all about? A good friend kindly provided me with the rules. The IAAF rules state that any person breaching the rules or other conduct which is considered to be insulting or improper or likely to bring the sport into disrepute will be subject to disciplinary action. Specifically a new rule states that if there is a second false start in a race, the one who is responsible is disqualified. Jon Drummond was responsible for the second false start and was disqualified. The fact that such a rule is unfair, is not the point.
After winning his heat, Ato charged that the new IAAF false start rule would not work and he and other athletes had been protesting the rule claiming that athletes would suffer. He claimed that the same thing they warned about was happening, for example the Drummond disqualification and its aftermath. He is correct. The IAAF has to find another way to deal with the problem of false starts. If eight athletes are on the mark ready to go and one causes a false start, he is not penalised and the runners return to the block. Under the new rule, if the runners line up a second time and there is a false start, the second runner is penalised. Is that fair? It is not. The experts argue, and I believe them, that false starts throw the runners off balance. It affects their concentration, the spring and tension in their bodies, so false starts are a no-no. But is the answer to penalise the second runner who is responsible while the first one gets away free? I don’t think so. Having said that, however, those who line up, do so in the knowledge that they know and understand the rules. If they do not, then they should be at home or sitting in the stands.
Among those critical of Drummond’s conduct was Michael Johnson, the retired multiple Olympic and world champion and world record holder in the 200 and 400 metres. Clearly he agrees with the new rule. “The IAAF should be stricter in applying its new rule on false starts,” he said in his column in the French sports daily L’Equipe. “As an American, he said he was embarrassed by Drummond’s behaviour.” He should be. IAAF Council member Jose Maria Odriozola, president of the Spanish federation, sharply criticised Drummond and his California-based HSI team. He spoke for me when he said, “there’s a small group of athletes in California who think anything goes and that they can do whatever they like,” Odriozola said. “We cannot put up with this. I have proposed to the council that Drummond be excluded from the World Championships and I think there’s a good chance that will happen.” The USA Track and Field (USATF) opposed the introduction of the new false-start rule when it was approved by the IAAF in 2001. The rule went into effect this year. If athletes believe the rule to be bad, they must campaign for its revocation not engage in childish tantrums on the track.
jstarr@newsday.co.tt
THE EDITOR: Mere moments after returning from a sun-kissed afternoon at Maracas Bay, I learnt of the incredible filth camouflaged in blue waters in which I had revelled. Like many others, I have been aware of a pollution problem at the popular bay but never envisioned the severity of the situation as recently reported. Appalled, I read of the large volumes of sewerage that is channelled into Maracas River and flows out to sea, contaminating the water that we swim in, eat fish from and inadvertently swallow. This is taking place everyday at one of the nation’s most popular beaches — a tourist spot and “must see” destination.
Unless plans are afoot to promote Maracas Bay as “Filthman’s Bay — Come experience the North Coast waste,” TIDCO has once again been caught with its proverbial dirty pants down — sleeping on the job as usual. In my estimation, vendors on the Bay were extremely patient, and should have long since protested the unhealthy and unsightly dilemmas procured by TIDCO’s utter neglect to maintain and improve a major tourist resort. I go to Maracas Bay regularly and can attest to flooding, murky drains and dilapidated changing/rest room facilities. These conditions are not limited to the beach as heavy rainfall mixes with water from the main rest room building in the car park area. This is also where eager bake and shark connoisseurs splash each other’s feet with the unsavoury condiment of brown germ-infested water.
Logic would assume that money should be spent on at least maintaining any area billed as a tourist destination. Reason also dictates that knowledge of a potential health hazard would expedite a resolve even if the equation involves a lethargic and reactive organisation. Well, not so with TIDCO. Imminent risk of disease outbreaks was clearly not enough to wrest nonchalance from within that company. Is this the way we expect to attract tourism to TT. As much as I enjoy bathing at Maracas Bay, I would be hard-pressed to return until the “big stink” is addressed. Unfortunately, the same would now hold for others who view this scenario as yet another paradigm of seeming contempt and negligence meted out to tax-payers. It means too that poor people are likely to suffer even more before seeing brighter days. Interestingly, TIDCO has since vowed to remedy the vendors’ plight whose livelihoods depend on the Bay. Since the problems were known for sometime, why was protesting necessary to obtain action — to cease procrastination? TIDCO, you must know that prevention is better than cure. Why is this wise lesson so often ignored?
DEXTER J RIGSBY
Mt Lambert
THE EDITOR: Hours after hours in the menacing heat, I had to patiently wait for my vehicle to be refuelled, due to the malfunctioning of a CNG unit at a gas station in Chaguanas. As an industrious taxi driver, I as well as 50 other taxis, depend on that particular gas station for CNG, mainly because it is the only gas station with a CNG unit in Chaguanas. For the past few months, the CNG unit has been malfunctioning till this date. I left the commotion at Chaguanas and drove some miles to the gas station at Curepe Junction hoping that the CNG in my car would be adequate. Unfortunatley, the CNG unit at Curepe Junction was out of order also. To add to the disappointments, I had to drive with little CNG to Mt Lambert gas station. When I eventually arrived at my destination, the CNG crisis had arrived there too.
The CNG unit was out of order. Without hesitation I drove to the gas station at the Maritime Plaza Roundabout to find out that the CNG unit’s pressure was very low. It was the Government who encouraged the taxi drivers to purchase these CNG kits which cost approximately $10,000 but they are not providing adequate services to ensure taxi drivers’ needs are met. Some taxi drivers have switched from the environmental friendly CNG and are using the toxic diesel gas because we are not getting our CNG tanks refuelled on time. If taxi drivers continue to use diesel as their vehicle’s fuel, they will contribute to global warming when the carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide from the emissions of a diesel fuelled car, dissolves into the atmosphere.
We, the taxi drivers, had to go out of our area to get CNG in order to make a living. We contacted the National Petroleum Company. It took them two days just to check on the one in Chaguanas. There were two CNG units in Chaguanas but due to an interference with an electricity pole in 2002, one was out of order. NP never came to look into the serious matter. The taxi drivers depend on CNG greatly. I would like NP to provide the necessary arrangements to improve the quality of the CNG units throughout Trinidad. It is time taxi drivers get better CNG facilities.
BOYSIE RAMSUMAIR
Cunupia
THE EDITOR: Please permit me to add some background regarding the purchase which is currently being discussed. Prior to Mr Robinson assuming the office of President both Mr Robinson and Mrs Robinson each possessed personal vehicles. These vehicles remained largely unused during Mr Robinson’s term in office and were sold (midway during his term), as deterioration resulting from their lack of use diminished their value. In the search for a replacement vehicle for Mr and Mrs Robinson’s use during their retirement — after almost 50 years of public service — I recommended that the BMW 735 Li be purchased, primarily because the vehicle provides easy ingress and egress (a necessity for both parties) due to its long wheel base and extended rear door configuration, accommodates the operation of features (sometimes difficult for elderly persons to use) from the driver’s or front passenger location and possesses important security attributes. All of which would facilitate comfortably, Mr and Mrs Robinson’s travel to the public and private engagements throughout Trinidad and Tobago, it was anticipated that they would attend.
It was also considered that despite being retired, Mr Robinson’s continued international role would give rise to occasions, whereby he would have the opportunity to demonstrate the hospitality of Trinidadians and Tobagonians by hosting eminent individuals from abroad. The vehicle in question was considered suitable for the role it would be called upon to play, being the vehicle of choice for diplomats in many regions of the world. The nature of, and intended use for, the BMW 735 Li suggested was that it would be necessary for a second vehicle to take on a utility role, largely reflecting the family situation which existed prior to March 17 1997. My recommendations were driven by functionality concerns and I believe the choice is suitable. It is really a matter for those who may have reservations about the request to consider whether the Nation has received ‘‘value for its money” when evaluating Mr Robinson’s contributions to Trinidad and Tobago and the future contributions he will very likely continue to make.
DAVID A A ROBINSON
Port-of-Spain
THE EDITOR: In a newspaper of Sunday August 24, 2003 the Chief Justice of Barbados, Sir David Simmons, is reported as saying that “he did not want to dignify the comments of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago” on the legitimacy of the swearing-in of members of the Regional Judicial and Legal Service Commission. If that remark attributed to Sir David was in fact made by him it provides yet another example of some of the region’s judge’s intolerance of dissenting views and lack of humility. It makes one wonder again whether we can find enough persons with the kind of judicial attitude to which we should like to see exhibited on the bench of the final Court of Appeal, the Caribbean Court of Justice.
In any event I have looked at the treaty referred to by Sir David on the website. It makes no reference of swearing-in of members of the RJLSC nor does it provide for delegation of functions of the heads of judiciary by them in relation to the members of the RJLSC. Why, I ask, the show of a swearing-in!
JAMES WILLIAMS
Maraval
