An April 28 article by the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago floated the idea of Guyana being a “potential source” of natural gas to fill the Twin Island Republic’s spare capacity.
With Trinidad’s Dragon gas dreams appearing dashed, the idea seems feasible. In 2024, Trinidad’s production levels dropped to an average of 2.537 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day (bscf/d).
However, as previously noted by Guyana’s Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, that decision rests with the private investors developing Guyana’s gas.
Guyana’s gas development has a complex road ahead | OilNOW
Guyana has a massive reserve, 17 trillion cubic feet (tcf) was the last estimate given. A Gas-to-Energy project is underway to provide cheap power to citizens. This will use associated gas from the Liza field. Fulcrum LNG, a U.S. energy firm, was tapped to partner with the government and ExxonMobil, the operator of Guyana’s Stabroek Block, to build out a development plan for the non-associated gas.
Speaking at his most recent press conference, Jagdeo said several options are being mulled, namely: bringing it onshore to generate electricity and supply Brazil, using it for industrial purposes like fertiliser and petrochemical production, or developing offshore LNG platforms for direct export. Sending it to TT for processing is the next step, and Jagdeo said it is an option that must be studied.
“They should study whether taking it to Trinidad to be processed there makes sense,” he noted.
Jagdeo had made this point in 2024 when calls were made for the two countries to collaborate. Both Trinidad’s then Prime Minister Keith Rowley and Energy Minister, Stuart Young made the play during that year’s Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo.
“Everything has to be done on the basis of [a] feasibility study…how much it costs. So, you would have to assess ‘Would it be better to process your gas right at [a] site on a floating LNG [liquefied natural gas] platform than moving it hundreds of miles to Trinidad and Tobago?’ All of these things have to be determined, not on the basis of desire or goodwill or good intention or else,” he posited.
Trinidad made a similar pitch to Guyana before, offering up their refinery for Guyana’s oil. However, Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, said it made “economic sense” for the country to have its own.
ExxonMobil is now assessing the data from the appraisal works it recently completed to lay out a comprehensive gas use plan. And all this is being done with several new developments in tow. Anchoring the vast gas resources are the Longtail and Haimara discoveries. Longtail has already been identified as the 8th development after Hammerhead.
