A SOBERING REALITY CHECK ON THE GAS PROMISE

When Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar took office, she announced plans to pursue gas deals with Guyana, Grenada, and Suriname to revive the Pointe-à-Pierre refinery. It was a bold pitch, one that got folks hopeful about a quick energy boost.

But the reality’s hitting hard. Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, just shut down the idea, saying flat-out that their gas is tied up in their own energy and fertilizer projects, with no surplus to share right now. Talks were left open, but only as a distant possibility. Their Natural Resources Minister made it plain: Guyana’s priority is its own refinery, not Trinidad and Tobago’s. The idea of relying on Guyana’s gas was never grounded in reality.

Grenada’s already deep in a controversial $1.8 billion energy deal with Nigerian and Russian firms, signed in October 2024, covering offshore blocks that don’t include Trinidad and Tobago. While T&T’s eyeing Grenada’s Nutmeg field, development could take 10-15 years, and Grenada’s current partners aren’t leaving room for us yet.

Suriname? We signed an MOU in 2023 for energy cooperation, but there’s no concrete deal for gas supply. Talks are ongoing, but nothing’s close to finalized, and their focus is on their own oil and gas boom.

T&T continues to push hard, which is commendable. But the reality is, these countries have their own plans and priorities. The promises were well-meaning, but they leaned on hope more than hard commitments. Fixing our energy sector is gonna take gritty work, slow diplomacy, and a reality-based game plan. I wish Kamla luck, but she has got a tough road ahead and I would like to see her succeed, for all of our benefit.

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