Shell has increased its gas production forecast for the Manatee project offshore Trinidad and Tobago by 10%, according to the country’s newly appointed Energy Minister, Roodal Moonilal.
Speaking at a gathering of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago last week, Moonilal said the project is expected to surpass its initially forecasted production volume under what Shell has called ‘Manatee Plus’.
Manatee was initially forecasted to deliver about 600 million cubic feet of gas per day (cf/d) by 2027, tapping into 2.7 trillion cubic feet of gas.
“We’re extremely happy to welcome the news that this will involve a 10% uplift in previously forecasted volumes,” Moonilal told industry professionals. “We welcome Manatee Plus at this time in our energy history.”
The Manatee field, located in the East Coast Marine Area, is the Trinidadian portion of the cross-border Loran-Manatee reservoir shared with Venezuela. Shell reached a final investment decision (FID) on the project in July 2024.
Moonilal added that Shell has signaled its aspiration to triple gas output by 2027. The company produced 586 million cubic feet per day of gas in 2024 in Trinidad, according to government data.
Last month, TT’s Energy Ministry said it would collaborate with Shell to explore opportunities for increasing Manatee’s output beyond its original estimates, amid growing concern over dwindling supplies to the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petrochemical sectors.
The government views Manatee as a critical pillar in its strategy to revive natural gas production, which has declined significantly over the past decade. The Ministry had committed to work closely with Shell to assess the technical and commercial viability of ramping up output from the field.
Trinidad and Tobago, one of the region’s largest gas exporters, has struggled with supply shortfalls affecting its Atlantic LNG facility and downstream industries. Manatee is among several projects, including Shell’s Aphrodite development, expected to help reverse the trend.
