IMA TO DETERMINE ORIGIN OF OIL 

Scarborough, Tobago – February 10, 2024 – Following a major oil spill off Tobago’s coastline, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) are actively supporting the preliminary assessment. The IMA has collected oil samples for “fingerprinting” and analysis to determine its origin, a critical step confirmed by the Ministry of Planning and Development in a statement issued on Friday.

Minister Pennelope Beckles expressed deep concern regarding the oil spill’s impact on Tobago’s natural resources. She noted that her Ministry, which oversees the EMA and IMA, has been receiving frequent updates from both agencies. These agencies have been on the ground, actively supporting and collaborating with the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and other key stakeholders. Additionally, the EMA has provided guidance on the proper disposal of oil-contaminated materials, including sargassum seaweed. Minister Beckles pledged her continued commitment to closely monitor the situation and provide all necessary support.

The incident began on Wednesday, February 7th, when Lambeau fishermen sighted an overturned vessel in waters near Cove Estate. It was then discovered that an oil-like substance was leaking from the vessel, which has since spread across the entire southeastern coastline of Tobago.

Today, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary, Farley Augustine, is expected to declare the situation a Tier 3 level disaster. This declaration will prompt the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Christine Kangaloo, to declare a national emergency, as the scale of the spill will have exceeded the THA’s capacity.

To aid the investigation, a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) will be deployed today from the Coast Guard Base in Scarborough to the shipwrecked vessel’s site. This mission aims to capture essential footage for determining the International Maritime Organization (IMO) number of the vessel and to definitively identify the source of the leakage.

The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) has dispatched a team of Petroleum Inspectors from its Petroleum Operations Management Division (POMD) to Tobago, led by Chief Technical Officer Mr. Marc Rudder, to assist the THA in containing and managing the oil spill.

On Friday, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Stuart Young and Senator Rohan Sinanan, Minister of Works and Transport, met with Chief Secretary Augustine. Both Ministers offered continued support and expertise from their respective Ministries to the THA and TEMA. MEEI personnel were also present, actively participating in and providing expertise for the response exercise.

Minister Young approved Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd. to send resources, including personnel and equipment, to Tobago to assist in the response. This decision followed an initial request from the MEEI to Woodside Energy, which then approved the use of a private service contractor (Kaizen Environmental Services Trinidad Ltd) with expertise in containment and clean-up operations already in Tobago.

Minister Young has also been in contact with the leadership of both bpTT and Shell Trinidad, both of whom have offered their assistance to the MEEI in dealing with the unfolding situation. The MEEI has pledged its continued support and assistance in this developing matter. Clean-up and containment efforts are ongoing today as authorities work to mitigate the environmental damage caused by the Tobago oil spill.