<article><p class="lead">Trinidad and Tobago is aiming to restore natural gas production to pre-Covid-19 levels by the end of 2022, energy minister Stuart Young said.</p><p>More than 1 Bcf/d of production will come from offshore developments by foreign producers BP, Shell, BHP and EOG, Young told an Energy Chamber conference this week.</p><p>The government will encourage further development over the next 12 months with licensing rounds for deepwater, shallow-water and onshore acreage, he said.</p><p>Gas production was running at 3.62 Bcf/d in March 2020, but has since fallen because of a pandemic-induced decline in demand. Output 2.81 Bcf/d in the first quarter of 2021 was down by 18.7pc year on year. </p><p>Young's projection suggests end-2022 production could approach 4 Bcf/d, replenishing supply to <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2222443?keywords=trinidad">LNG exporter Atlantic</a> and <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2211202?keywords=trinidad">petrochemical plants</a>.</p><p>Anglo-Australian BHP's Ruby development, commissioned in May, will deliver 80mn cf/d by the third quarter, the company's head of finance for Trinidad Soraya Khan told the conference.</p><p>Another 600mn cf/d will come from BP's Matapal and Cassia compression projects off the southeast coast of Trinidad starting in 2022, the UK major says.</p><p>Shell's Barracuda project in the east coast marine area and Colibri in the north coast marine area are projected to produce a combined 450mn cf/d by 2022, the company's manager for Trinidad upstream assets Ronald Adams said.</p><p>"Beyond 2022 there is a bank of upstream gas projects on land and in the shallow and moderate marine areas that are awaiting sanctioning," Young told the conference.</p><p>"These projects have the potential to produce up to 1.8 Bcf/d. In addition, there are the deepwater gas resources of BHP's Calypso project that are being appraised but are estimated with a potential production of 600mn to 1 Bcf/d."</p><p>The government is in "advanced negotiations" with Shell about contract terms for the Manatee field on the maritime border with Venezuela, Young said.</p><p>Manatee is "great prospect" with estimated recoverable resources of 2.7 Tcf, Adams said.</p><p>Trinidad still has "considerable" gas resources to be utilized, prime minister Keith Rowley told the conference.</p><p>"While oil may be up against a clock with less time on it, there is still significant potential for natural gas."</p><p class="bylines">By Canute James</p></article>
