Oil spill clean up to be completed in two weeks

L-R: Petrotrin President Khalid Hassanali, Chairman Lindsay Gillette and Acting PM Errol Mc Leod

The chairman of state-owned Petrotrin told reporters on Monday everything is under control and that the company would complete the clean up of the oil spills in south Trinidad in two weeks.

"As of today, as a company, the whole situation is absolutely under control,” Lindsay Gillette told the media at a news conference at Petrotrin’s quarters in Port of Spain.

Petrotrin has not yet concluded whether there was any sabotage in the 11 spills that occurred within a two-week period. Five of the spills were in fields operated by the company’s partners with the latest occurring on Sunday in a field at Brighton operated by Trinmar.

Petrotrin's President Khalid Hassanali, who also spoke at the media conference, said the company has increased security at its own installations and has advised its partners to step up vigilance. The clean-up, he estimated, would cost about $5 million.

Hassanali said the company is not going to speculate on whether there was sabotage.

The spill on December 21 at Rancho Quemado, Erin raised some red flags. It's because two 3-inch bull plugs requiring a particular wrench, were removed from two separate well site production tanks.

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