The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) Wednesday said it has executed the final commercial agreements with Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited (Shell) in support of the Aphrodite project.
NGC chairman, Gerald Ramdeen, described NGC’s role in advancing the Aphrodite project as a major milestone for the country’s energy sector.
‘The execution of the agreements represents the results of advancing the new vision and business model of NGC directed to strengthening Trinidad and Tobago’s energy security and providing support to our domestic energy sector.
‘Aphrodite will add to the future gas supply for the local energy market, bolster sustainability of downstream operations, grow economic activity and in the long-term, support national development. It also demonstrates the value of collaboration across the energy sector to advance projects that have strategic significance for the country,’ said Ramdeen.
The Aphrodite field, discovered in 2022, is located in the East Coast Marine Area (ECMA), Block 5a, offshore Trinidad and Tobago. Shell had targeted production for 2027.
It was a project that was seen as potential option to backfill the Atlantic LNG facility, strengthen Trinidad and Tobago’s domestic gas market and supply local petrochemical and power-generation sectors.
Shell expected the project to have an estimated peak production of approximately 100 million cubic feet per day of natural gas.
NGC said that the agreements, which were finalised in early September 2027, represent a significant increase in the ability of NGC to monetise the resources ‘that belong to the people of this country for their benefit’
It said that its pipeline and gas-related infrastructure will play a critical role in bringing Aphrodite’s gas reserves to market, with first gas anticipated by the second quarter of 2027.
Ramdeen said reaching an agreement of this scope and significance requires the sustained engagement of a number of technical, commercial and legal disciplines.
‘The collective effort of our teams reflects the importance of strong industry collaboration, as we continue to support the development and security of Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector,’ he said, noting that ‘the most significant achievement in the signing of these agreements is that the terms that have been agreed bring 400 per cent more value to the people of this country than what was negotiated by the last administration.
‘This reflects the value that could have been lost by the people of this country due to the ineptitude of those that were previously vested with the management of our energy sector. These are the results that are possible when the interest of the country and the people of this country are made a priority.’