Newsletter, Issue 4, December 2012

ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

APETT Chemical Engineering

ACE executive Council Members

ACE executive Council Members

Eng. Imtiaz Easahak is a Member of The Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (MAPETT) and a Registered Engineer (R.Eng.). He has over 15 years post graduate experience in the chemical and gas processing in-dustries. He has a B.Sc. Degree in Chemical and Process Engineering, Masters in Production Management and is currently pursuing an MBA from Heriot- Watt University. Eng. Neil Bujun is currently the Manager, Project Development (Ag) at Pe-trotrin and has 17 years experience in the Oil and Gas industry. He is also cur-rently the Vice Chair at APETT Chemical Division. He is the holder of an MBA from Henley Management College and a BSc. in Chemical Engineering from The University of the West Indies. Eng. Maria Mahabir is a Member of the Steering Committee of the Chemical Di-vision of The Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago. She has two years post graduate experience, with a B.Sc. in Chemical and Pro-cess Engineering from UWI. She is presently pursuing certification and experi-ence in Project Management for Professionals (PMP). Eng. Lydia Lee-Chong, currently The Senior Process Engineer at Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited (PPGPL), holds a BSc. Chemical & Process Engineering and a MSc. Project and Program Management, with 12 years experience in the Chemical Industry. She is currently pursuing her MBA in Sustainable Energy Management. Before joining PPGPL in 2006, Lydia was involved in gas pro-cessing at Petrotrin. Eng. Theron Ousman is currently the Director at Foster Wheeler Upstream Trinidad & Tobago Operations with over ten years in Chemical Engineering. He holds a BSc in Chemical & Process Engineering. Prior to Foster Wheeler, he worked as part of Operations, FEED & Detailed Engineering, Construction and Start up teams for several greenfield and brownfield projects ranging from off-shore platforms to onshore chemical plants.

Eng. Sheldon Butcher is currently the Senior Chemical Engineer at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs, with 11 years experience in the Process Industry. He was awarded his BSc. in Chemical and Process Engineering and is currently pursuing his masters in Petroleum Engineering. His experience includes working in the upstream industry, approving drilling and completion programs, manag-ing liquid fuels such as LPG, diesel and gasoline and has played an important role in the Petrochemical Industry. Eng. Farad Boochoon is a Lead/ Principal Process Engineer at WorleyParsons with over 13 years post graduate experience in Chemical Engineering. He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering and a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Manage-ment. Prior to WorleyParsons, Farad has been responsible for executing numer-ous Brownfield and Greenfield projects working for various engineering design companies. Farad also has held discipline and supervisory engineering roles working for LNG, Methanol, Oil Refining and Ammonia petrochemical facilities. Since 2009, Dr David Janes has been a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the University of the West Indies. Previously he worked in the UK, where he is a Chartered Engineer, supporting commercial engineering software for CFD-software house CHAM Limited and energy consultancy, KBC Advanced Technolo-gies plc. He has also worked internationally as a manufacturing advisory consult-ant in oil refining, food processing and general manufacturing. Eng. Claudius Stewart is a Member of The Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (MAPETT). He has nine years post graduate experience in the Chemical and Gas Processing Industries. He has a B.Sc. in Chemical and Process Engineering and M.Sc. in Production Management, both from UWI. Pri-or to joining Atlantic, he worked at PCS Nitrogen Trinidad Limited as a Process Engineer.

Ria McLeod is Chemical and Process Engineer with over nine (9) years’ experi-ence in ammonia and urea production. A graduate of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, she is currently employed with PCS Nitrogen Trinidad Lim-ited as a Process Engineering Specialist, with a focus on capital project manage-ment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Editorial Eng. Theron Ousman

With the completion of the annual 2012 Ryder-Scott audit, it is speculated by energy gurus, that Trinidad & Tobago is left with approximately ten years of proved natural gas reserves, having had a continuous decrease in reported re-serves from 2009 to 2012. Despite the discovery of 1 tcf of natural gas in the Savonetta field off Trinidad’s south coast (as reported in local newspapers), the country also seeks a more promising future in sustainable and renewable en-ergy- primarily solar power. This alternative source of energy is no stranger to the Caribbean as several of the smaller islands including Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Kitts / Nevis and St. Lucia have been using solar en-ergy for decades in solar water heaters. The use of solar energy as a renewable energy source also embraces the oppor-tunity to Go Green and attempts to change lifestyle choices towards being more environmentally conscious. The University of Trinidad & Tobago is of-fering their students the opportunity to participate in research projects involv-ing Renewable Energy and Green Tech-nology. As chemical engineers in Trinidad & Tobago, though our goal is to efficiently produce useful products, many of which are derived from fossil fuels, we must be mindful of our industry’s im-pact on the environment. The issue of this newsletter brings to the

forefront initiatives from the govern-ment to embrace the green theory- such as the drive to promote CNG as the ma-jor vehicular fuel and the implementa-tion of the Clean Development Mecha-nism in Trinidad & Tobago. It also high-lights the aspects of safety culture as well as new projects in the industry. The Chemical Engineering Division of APETT held its second meeting on the 30th October, 2012. The seminar, togeth-er with the online LinkedIn discussions plays an important role in bringing our fellow engineers together to share opin-ions on different issues. APETT Chemical Engineering Division warmly welcomes its regular readers, and in particular, new readers. Feel free to participate in discussions by joining our LinkedIn group or keep abreast with activities by visiting our website, www.apett.org .

Message from APETT Eng. Dr. Haydn I. Furlonge

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“In the long history of humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most ef-fectively have prevailed.” ― Charles Darwin

At the General Meeting of the Chemical Division on Sep. 19th, 2012, a new Division Council was elected, under the ambit of a newly-established Organization Structure and Team Charter. The transformation jour-ney started one year ago, with the first objective being to raise awareness amongst chemical and energy professionals about the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (APETT). The tides have changes from when APETT was a foremost vibrant organization in energy circles. In fact, many of the pioneers of the energy industry were the same individuals who helped establish APETT. Nowadays, when the energy sector and indeed the chemical engineering profession have been undergoing upheavals in the most challenging of global socio-economic circumstances, the need for a vibrant professional body is dire. APETT is a learned society that pursues the professional development of its engineers and of the profession itself for the betterment of the public. Overcoming the challenges necessitates that our professionals be just that. Past and current Executive Councils (APETT’s governing body) have recognized the need to adapt. It cannot be overstated however that the engineers themselves must be the ones to build this engineering soci-ety, and it is about time that the chemical engineers in particular make a space for the Chemical Division. We must be most appreciative of the stalwarts who initiated and held the mantle over the years. It is now time to collaborate; to pool the limited available resources and each grab hold of an oar. It is also a time to improvise, to sail the waves of modern communications and knowledge management, whilst sticking to good old-fashioned morals and ethics in how we conduct ourselves as professionals and as a society. To this end, the Executive Council of APETT is especially pleased with the initiatives being undertaken by the Chemical Division. You will read all about it in this fourth ACE Newsletter for 2012 and via the various me-dia strategies in effect. We lend our support and best wishes to the new Division Council for 2013, under the dynamic chairmanship of Eng. Imtiaz Easahak, and look forward to the continued growth and sustaina-ble development of the Chemical Division and by extension the Association.

Eng. Dr. Haydn I. Furlonge (MAPETT) Vice President, APETT Executive Council 2012/3

Message from the Chemical Division (ACE) Eng. Imtiaz Easahak

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First of all, let me say a special ‘thank you’ to Dr. Haydn Furlonge, the outgoing Chairman, for his commitment and dedication in leading the Chemical Division over the past Year. His passion and drive toward realizing APETT’s mission and objectives has certainly created the momentum for the recently elected council to continue the excellent work started. On behalf of the New Council of the Chemical Division, I would like to wish Dr. Furlonge continued success in his new role as Vice-President, APETT. Secondly, I wish to thank the members of the Chemical Division for the confidence placed in me as your new Chair and I look forward to working with the members of the Council to continue to highlight our local Talent as well as our Country’s role in the Global industrial context. Thirdly, as you would recall, in our first quarterly publication we touched on the relevance of APETT by outlining its’ Mission and Objectives. In the second issue, APETT’s Annual General Meeting was also highlighted in which Eng. Narine Singh was elected as the new President suc-ceeding Dr. Rae Furlonge. In our Third issue which coincided with Keshorn Walcott’s Olympic Gold Medal, Dr. Winston Mellows described the structure and Initiatives of the Board of Engi-neering of Trinidad and Tobago (BOETT). The technical and non-technical articles that were pub-lished in all of these issues were very well received and we wish to thank all the authors for their support in making this initiative a success. Our fourth and final issue for 2012 is also filled with very interesting articles– the council would like to acknowledge the effort of Eng. Ashley Ramkis-soon for her exceptional effort in coordinating and designing the layout. Finally, on behalf of the Chemical Division Council, let me take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy and holy festive season and a prosperous New Year 2013. Imtiaz Easahak (MAPETT) Chair, Chemical Division

Seminar

Prepared By: Eng. Claudius Stewart

Understanding the Impacts of Producing

Unconventional Oil

Dr. David Alexander presented “Understanding the Impacts of Pro-ducing Unconventional Oil” at the University of Trinidad & Tobago Campus on Thursday 8th November 2012. The presentation was well received by the audience.

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5 Behind Row from Left to Right : Eng. Neil Bujun, Eng. Farad Boochoon, Eng. Sheldon Butcher, Front Row from Left to Right : Dr. David Janes, Eng. Maria Mahabir, Eng. Ria McLeod, Eng. Lydia Lee-Chong, Eng. Claudius Stewart Absent: Eng. Imtiaz Easahak, Eng. Theron Ousman

GOVERNANCE MATTERSGOVERNANCE MATTERS Compressed Natural Gas LYDIA LEE-CHONG

This article is intended to provide information on CNG and highlights its benefits and drawbacks as an alternative fuel to diesel.

In an attempt to reduce the huge fuel subsidy, which accounts for approximately two-thirds of the country’s budget deficit, the Government of Trinidad & Tobago is prompting the development of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), as a major al-ternative vehicular fuel to diesel fuel, super un-leaded gasoline and premium gas. With the read-ing of the 2013 budget, which was held on October 1st of this year, the price of premium gas rose from $4.00/litre to $5.75/litre. Even though the price of super unleaded and diesel remained unchanged, it is the ultimate intention of the Ministry of Finance, under this current administration, to reduce the subsidy on both fuels. On that note, the government has announced a number of fiscal incentives to promote CNG con-version. Engine conversion technology is well es-tablished and suitable conversion equipment is readily available as the Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Task Force of Trinidad and Tobago has claimed to introduce a fresh new face on the issue of CNG in Trinidad and Tobago. In Trinidad, Automotive Components Limited is the authorized company for the installation of CNG kits. Natural gas produced from gas wells or associated with crude oil production is made up primarily of methane (CH4- usually > 90 vol%) and frequently

contains trace amounts of ethane, propane, nitro-gen, helium, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and water vapor. Natural gas when compressed can be stored and used as compressed natural gas fuel (CNG). CNG requires a much larger volume to store the same mass of fuel and therefore very high pressure (2,900 psi) is needed to enhance the vehicle on-board storage capacity. Natural gas from the gas pipeline network is com-pressed to the above mentioned high pressure with the aid of a compressor. The compressed nat-ural gas is stored in interconnected pressurized containers. The actual refueling entails the release of compressed natural gas from the pressurized containers via a dispensing pump into the vehi-cle’s pressure vessel. The gun of the dispensing pump’s hose is connected to the vehicle’s refueling valve via a quick-fastening system.

Difficulties with CNG arise from:

∗ Vehicle range.

∗ Fuel storage.

∗ Infrastructure costs.

∗ Knock at high loads.

∗ High emission of methane and carbon monoxide at light loads.

∗ Ensuring and maintaining sufficient sup-ply of natural gas (a non renewable ener-gy source).

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CNG is considered the safer and more attractive alternative to gasoline and diesel due to the following advantages:

∗ The ignition temperature for CNG is higher than gasoline and diesel fuel.

∗ If a rupture occurs, natural gas being lighter than air will dissipate upward rapidly while gasoline and diesel will pool on the ground, increasing the risk of fire.

∗ CNG is non-toxic and will not contaminate groundwater if spilled. It is a cleaner fuel than either gasoline or diesel with respect to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Since CNG is primarily me-thane (CH4), it contains one carbon whereas diesel (C15H32) and gasoline (C8H18)[5, 44] contains sig-nificantly more, CNG reduces CO2 emissions by 20-25% compared to gasoline and diesel. CNG has lower greenhouse gas emissions and produces no particulate matter upon combustion.

∗ CNG can be used in conventional diesel and gasoline engines. CNG vehicles emit no benzene and no 1,3-butadiene, which are toxins emitted by diesel powered vehicles.

∗ CNG powered vehicles theoretically have a significant advantage over petroleum-powered vehi-cles, with lower operating costs as well as lower cost per energy unit as compared to petroleum fuels. The cost of converting a vehicle to CNG depends on the type of vehicle and CNG kit (i.e. a set comprising of a CNG pressure vessel, a regulator, a refuelling valve, a controller and intercon-necting material to ensure the proper propulsion of the vehicle on compressed natural gas in ac-cordance with valid legislation).

∗ The use of natural gas as a vehicle fuel is claimed to provide several benefits to engine compo-nents and effectively reduce maintenance requirements. CNG does not mix with or dilute the lubricating oil and will not cause deposits in combustion chambers and on spark plugs as petrol fuels do, as a result CNG fuel will extend the piston ring and spark plug life. In diesel dual-fuel operation evidence of reduced engine wear was reported which will result in longer engine life. The use of CNG in a diesel spark-ignition (SI) conversion is expected to produce an engine life at least equal to that of the original diesel engine manufacturer’s guarantee.

CNG has a relatively low energy density; it contains nearly 70 percent less energy per gallon equivalent than gasoline or diesel. As a result, CNG vehicles pack less horsepower. The lower energy density of CNG also means that drivers have to fill their tanks more fre-quently to go the same distance. For example a driver would have to fill a CNG-fueled pas-senger car at least 2 times to go the same dis-tance as its gasoline-powered equivalent. Converted cars fitted with a 70-litre pressure vessel have the following average range of about 190 – 260 km. The average range for buses is 450 km in urban traffic and more

than 500 km on non-urban roads. Refueling a CNG vehicle also takes about twice as long as a standard passenger vehicle. Due to CNG’s lower energy density CNG vehicles are equipped with large, heavy fuel tanks (200 pounds versus 10 pounds for gas-oline). These tanks reduce a car’s fuel econo-my and its cargo capacity. CNG-powered passenger vehicles currently have about half the cargo space of their conventional equiva-lents. 7

The octane rating of CNG is about 130, al-lowing engines to operate at a compression ratio of up to 16:1 without “knock” or deto-nation.

Engine conversion technology is well estab-lished and suitable conversion equipment is readily available as the NGV Task Force of Trinidad and Tobago has claimed to intro-duce a fresh new face on the issue of CNG in Trinidad and Tobago. CNG-ready cars that don’t skimp on trunk space and there is now easier, more affordable conversion of gasoline and diesel vehicles. Also, quicker-filling pumps expected to fill the average vehicle in three minutes or less is being specified. Most existing CNG vehicles use petrol en-gines, modified by after-market retrofit con-versions kits and retain bi-fuel capability. Bi-fuelled vehicle conversions generally suffer from a power loss and can encounter driva-bility problems, due to the design and/or installation of the retrofit packages [5]. In bi-fuel diesel engines, natural gas as a fuel offers the advantage of reduced emis-sions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide while retaining the high efficiency of the conventional diesel engine

[5] . Single-fuel vehicles optimized for CNG are likely to be considerably more attractive in terms of performance, and somewhat more attractive in terms of cost. This research states that a natural gas-powered, single-fuel vehicle should be capable of similar power, similar or higher efficiency and mostly lower emissions than an equivalent petrol-fuelled vehicle. Although such a ve-hicle would have a much shorter driving range unless the fuel tanks are made very large, this would then cause a further penal-ty in weight, space, performance and cost. FUEL CHARACTERISTICS OF CNG CNG can be easily employed in a spark-ignited internal combustion engines. CNG has a wider flammability range than gaso-line and diesel fuel. Optimum efficiency from natural gas is obtained when burnt in a lean mixture however this can lead to a loss in power. Additionally, the use of natu-

ral gas improves engine warm-up efficien-cy, and together with improved engine ther-mal efficiency more than compensate for the fuel penalty caused by heavier storage tanks. Natural gas must be in a concentra-tion of 5% to 15% in order to ignite, making ignition in the open environment unlikely. When a vehicle is operating on CNG about 10 % of the induced airflow is replaced by gas which causes a corresponding fall in engine power output. In performance terms the converted bi-fuel engine will generally have a 15-20 % maximum power reduction than that for the petrol version. When a die-sel engine conversion is fuelled on gas more engine power can be obtained due to the excess air available which, due to smoke limitations, is not fully consumed. The low cetane rating of natural gas results in the need for a spark ignition for the conversion of diesel engines thus, adding to the conver-sion cost. Even though more power may be available, experience has shown that SI die-sel engine conversions are usually down-rated to prevent excessive combustion tem-peratures leading to component durability problems. A diesel/gas dual-fuel conver-sion may experience a loss of efficiency, rel-ative to diesel-fuelling alone. A 15-20 % loss in thermal efficiency was reported in a dual-fuel heavy-duty truck demonstration in Canada, where natural gas provided 60 % of the total fuel requirement during dual-fuel operation. A further disadvantage of methane is that it is a greenhouse gas with a warming forcing factor greater than that of the principal greenhouse gas, CO2. The overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for CNG fueled vehicles will depend on the gas size of release of the leakage or vehicular when compared to petrol or diesel fuel it substitutes..

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CNG:

∗ Is made up primarily of methane, which has a low density.

∗ Has a high auto-ignition temperature as compared to petrol and diesel.

∗ Has a lower likelihood of ignition in the event of a gas leak, when compared to die-sel and petrol.

∗ Has higher flammability limits than pet-rol and diesel.

∗ Has a high dispersal rate.

∗ Is neither toxic, carcinogenic nor caustic.

It is possible that the space required and weight of CNG fuel storage systems will fall in the future as a result of improved engine effi-ciencies (as with dedicated designs) and light-weight storage tanks e.g., fibre-reinforced alu-minum alloy or even all-composite CNG pres-sure tanks demonstrate significant weight sav-ing over steel up to 57 %.

Many people are concerned of the safety as-pects of converting vehicles to CNG fuel. However, the low density of methane coupled with a high auto-ignition temperature of CNG (540°C) when compared with 227-5000C for petrol and 2570C for diesel fuel and the higher flammability limits gives the gas a high dis-persal rate and makes the likelihood of igni-tion in the event of a gas leak much less than that of petrol or diesel. Additionally, natural gas is neither toxic, carcinogenic, nor caustic. The legal maximum operating pressure for a vehicle storage cylinder is usually 2900 to 3626 psi. Cylinders are tested before installation to a pressure of 4,350 psi or to a level to meet lo-cal regulatory requirements. Safety regula-tions specify a periodic re-inspection, typically at five-year intervals, including a pressure test and internal inspection for corrosion. These cylinders have been designed to take impact of collision in case of accidents. An approximate measure of the equivalent petrol or diesel fuel capacity of a cylinder filled with CNG fuel may be obtained by di-viding the cylinder volume by 3.5 e.g. a 60-litre cylinder of natural gas will provide the energy equivalent of 17 liters of the conven-tional fuel. The design and installation of appropriate high-pressure on-board storage cylinders plays an important part in the efficient and safe operation of natural gas-fuelled vehicles. Most commonly used cylinders are chrome molybdenum steel, which are the cheapest, but one of the heaviest forms of storage con-tainer. The problem of reduced storage capaci-ty can be alleviated by installing gas cylinders on the roof (buses), under the chassis (passenger cars, trucks), or in a different place (spare wheel compartment).

Future dedicated gas-fuelled vehicles will ben-efit by the fuel storage system being integrat-ed into the vehicle structure, taking up less of the storage space currently lost in conversions. Research is in progress to use adsorbent prod-ucts in a tank to store natural gas which re-duces the required pressure (from 3000psi for CNG currently, to around 435psi) and thereby avoid the need for high-pressure compressors and provide more design flexibility for the tank. Many types of adsorbent materials have been considered, including activated carbon, zeolites, clays and phosphates. With activated carbon at pressures of 300-400 psi, the percent-age of natural gas adsorbed can be 10 to 15 % of the weight of carbon. However, it has not yet been possible to find an adsorbent material which provides the same storage capacity of usable gas at the same cost, weight and vol-ume as with high-pressure cylinders.

There are usually two refueling modes with CNG, fast fill and slow fill. For the fast fill mode the refueling times are comparable to those involved with conventional liquid fuels. The fast fill mode normally requires some buffer high pressure (3626 psi) storage at the refueling station or the use of a compressor sized to fill vehicles directly with-out intermediate (or cascade) stor-age. 9

A typical medium-sized refueling station with a compressor output around 300m3/hr would be capable of servicing 30 buses or 300 cars over a 12-hour period. NP has advised that the refueling time for this mode is 3-5mins, the same as gasoline or diesel refueling. For the slow fill mode one or more vehicles are connected directly to a low pressure supply via a compressor over relatively long time periods without the high pressure buffer storage facility. This is used for many fleet operations where the refueling installation are located at the fleet garages with trickle fill dispensers located adjacent to the vehicle parking spaces. A CNG vehicle needs to be refueled two to three times as often as a similar petrol or diesel counterpart. This has obvious impli-cations for CNG refueling station site and local traffic flow constraints. Since the gas will be delivered by pipeline rather than by tanker, this should alleviate both traffic flow and road hazards. CONCLUSIONS

In the future there may be opportunities for natural gas to make an increasingly important contribution public transporta-tion and goods transportation vehicles. For these vehicles, CNG can make eco-nomic sense because they can benefit from shared refueling locations and infrastruc-ture costs. However for average consum-ers, there are a number of challenges that limit the widespread adoption of CNG vehicles. These include fuel storage, fuel delivery and the operation of on-board computer systems all have to be taken into consideration by the engineering team. To solve these challenges takes the combined efforts of engineering, manufacturing, quality and service. This is why when con-verting to CNG you can't just evaluate the cost but the performance issues must also be researched. There are several other major performance issues to be addressed when using natural gas engines inclusive of:

∗ Determining the set point for the best compromise between emissions and fuel economy as this is not clear

∗ The optimum air–fuel ratio changes with both operating conditions and fuel properties.

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Several potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction projects throughout the company were screened in accordance with the UNFCCC CDM pre-assessment guidelines to determine their CDM eligibility. The Exploration and Production Division proposal of an associated gas recovery and utilization project was found to be an ideal candi-date. This project will recover and utilize methane rich natural gas currently vented in the fields. The project is ex-pected to remove approximated 400,000 tons of CO2 equivalent annu-ally from the atmosphere, which is the comparable to removing over 80,000

sedans from the country’s roads. Petrotrin is the only company actively pursuing a CDM project in Trinidad and Tobago at this time, which will be the first CDM project in the country. This will be only the fourth CDM pro-ject in the Caribbean, the other three being wind farms in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic and a land fill methane recovery project in Cuba. Petrotrin’s approach for this CDM project is through the Programme of Activities (PoA), which allows for an unlimited number of Component Pro-gramme Activities (CPAs) to be in-cluded under the PoA platform. This

approach is more difficult, costly and time consuming to implement but the potential returns are infinite as the CPAs are not limited to Trinidad and Tobago. Petrotrin can host CDM pro-jects from companies worldwide under the PoA platform in exchange for CERs. The transaction cost and time is much less for a company to place their CDM project under an existing PoA platform than to register a stand alone CDM project with the UNFCCC. This PoA may be the only one of its kind in the world, which would position Pe-trotrin as a global leader in CDM PoA in vent and flare gas recovery projects.

Eng. Neil Bujun

“This project is expected to remove approximately 400,000 tons of CO2 equivalent annually from the atmosphere, which is com-parable to removing over 80,000 sedans from the country’s roads.”

On January 28, 1999 Trinidad and To-bago joined the global fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change by signing the Kyoto Protocol. In 2005 the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the arm of the UN responsible for addressing climate change, developed several market-based mechanisms to help members of Kyoto Protocol meet their greenhouse gas emis-sions target. One such mechanism is the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The CDM allows emission-reduction projects developed in developing coun-

tries like Trinidad and Tobago earn Cer-tified Emission Reduction (CER) credits, which could be sold to developed coun-tries that hold binding targets. A CER is equal to one metric ton of Carbon Dioxide. The CDM issued its 1 billionth CER this year to a manufac-turing plant in India and have regis-tered over 4,500 projects globally. The European Union Emission Trad-ing System (EU ETS) is the largest market for CDM offset credits in the world and is now linked with the Aus-tralian Emission Trading System.

CDM CERs will not be eligible for exchange with the EU ETS for projects registered with the UNFCCC after 2012 as the first commitment period comes to a close on December 31, 2012. The second commitment period is cur-rently being negotiated among the par-ticipating countries. Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin), as part of its green initiative, decided to pursue a CDM project.

INITIATIVES

First CDM Project in Trinidad & Tobago

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Start Article Here

The Center for Chemical Process

Safety, (CCPS), an AICHE Industry Technology Alliance, provides a simple but effective definition which triggers us to ask pertinent questions about the effectiveness and maturity of our safety culture. When there are no observers or no apparent negative consequences, how does each person, at every lev-el of our organizations, respond to a potential safety issue, a process risk, a near miss incident or any other known hazard? The way in which an organization views and

manages safety is bound to its safe-ty culture – the prevailing set of perceptions, behaviors, attitudes and actions held by members of the institution, which become inte-grated into a value system that sup-ports safety objectives.

In each organization there should be emphasis on developing, nurtur-ing and sustaining a positive safety culture.

The chemical and process industry in particular has seen the im-portance of having a sound safety culture following major cata-strophic events such as the Piper Alpha Oil Platform Disaster and the Texas Oil Refinery Explosion.

Although formal safety manage-ment systems and policies exist throughout industries as a stand-ard, these are inherently depend-ent on the responses of individuals, especially during events of process and safety system deviations. It is important therefore for organiza-tions to clearly define their own fundamental values and expecta-tions towards safety.

SAFETY “Safety Culture is how an organization be-haves when the people are not watching” The Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS)

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This is a sustained effort requiring resolute action, dedicated re-sources, commitment, support from staff, and continuous performance monitoring for as long as the estab-lishment exists. How then do we evaluate, continue to develop, or improve our safety culture? Some essential features of a positive safety culture are refer-enced from CCPS to assist with this determination: • Establish process safety as a core

value • Establish and enforce high stand-

ards of process safety performance. • Maintain a sense of vulnerability. • Empower individuals to successfully

fulfill their safety responsibilities. • Ensure open and effective communi-

cation. • Establish a questioning/learning en-

vironment. • Foster mutual trust. • Provide strong leadership. • Provide timely response to safety is-

sues and concerns. • Document the safety culture empha-

sis and approach. • Provide continuous monitoring of

performance. • Defer to experts when necessary.

As with any cultural change, building a positive safety culture is not easily achieved. While management is pri-marily responsible for leading the safety cultural change effort, it is the responsibility of every member of staff to establish, nurture and sus-tain their sound safety culture – “Safety is ultimately everyone’s re-sponsibility”. Once a sound safety culture is developed and maintained, it will become instilled in the employ-ee population to the extent that new members of the organization would be expected to adopt the value sys-tem by their peers, and it would sur-vive attrition from the staff body. Finally, even beyond that, the health of the safety culture should be such that it would not only improve com-pany safety performance but it would also impact the lives of em-ployees, and their families, with re-spect to safety principles at home.

Eng. Ria Mc Leod

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SAFETY “Safety is ultimately everyone’s responsibility”

Low value residues are converted to high value fuels with moderate capital investment. Heavy fuel oil is the least desirable product for the refiner. For this reason, it is converted to products holding a higher economic value.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES Delayed Coking By: Eng. Ashley Ramkissoon

Benefits of Delayed coking: ∗ Delayed coking technology is rela-

tively inexpensive. ∗ The technology is very simple. ∗ The process produces clean gases,

in that the metals, sulphur & other catalyst poisons are trapped in the coke.

∗ This process can process a wide range of feedstocks.

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Delayed coking is the process which aims at cracking

heavy, long chain hydrocarbon molecules of the residual oil (also known as “bottoms”) into coker gas oil and petroleum coke, more useful products. This recent technology which is now being introduced into the refiner’s process configuration grabs at the opportunity to improve profit margins, since partial conversion refiners tend to minimize refinery margins. The residual crude oil is fed to the distillation column, also known as the main fractionator, where it is heated. Upon exiting the column, the preheated oil is injected with steam and pumped to the fuel-fired furnace. In the furnace, the re-sidual oil is heated to its thermal cracking temperature, ap-proximately 4800F. The residual oil is then transferred to the coker drums, where it is thermally cracked into gas, light products and solid coke. Here, the lighter components are generated in vapour phase and separated from the liquids and solids. The lighter products exit the coke drum and are directed to the main fractionator, where it is separated further separated into its desired components. Simultaneously, the liquid and solids are deposited at the base of the coke drum. Based on the capacity of the drum, when it is filled with solidified cake, the heated residual oils from the furnace is directed to another empty drum and the process continues. The filled drum is then steamed out to reduce the hydrocarbon content of the petroleum coke. The steamed coke is then quenched with cooling water. Upon cooling, the solid petroleum coke is cut from the drum by hydraulic methods—usually using a high pressure water nozzle. The cut coke falls through the drum onto a pit for dewatering and recovery. After this drum is cleaned, and the other drum has reached its brim of coke, the above procedure is repeated for the lat-ter drum, and the oils are redirected to the previous “decoked” drum.

Image courtesy Foster Wheeler Upstream

Foster Wheeler Upstream offers the SYDECSM Delayed Coking Technology to im-prove profit margins in the refinery. For more information, feel free to contact Foster Wheeler Upstream at refining@fwc.com.

GREENFIELD PROJECTS

Deepwater Blocks Eng. Sheldon Butcher

The Ministry of Energy and Ener-gy Affairs (MEEA) is the custodian for the Oil and Gas Sector in Trini-dad and Tobago and manages all matters related to their exploration and development. This regulatory role is enshrined in several pieces of legislation (available online at http://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/Laws2/main.html). The Petroleum Act and its subsidiary regulations outline the framework that governs the conduct of petrole-um operations and is administered by the Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs. On the other hand, the Pe-troleum Taxes Act is administered by the Minister of Finance and estab-lishes the framework for the taxation of companies engaged in petroleum operations. The regulatory framework in Trini-dad and Tobago has evolved over the years from a purely concessionary arrangement with the Exploration and Production (E&P) Licence being the instrument of choice to a fairly sophisticated Production Sharing Contract (PSC). There are variations existing with all these arrangement as the form of agreement has been re-vised and refined over the years.

The fiscal regime for companies op-erating under an E&P Licence in-cludes a Royalty, a sliding-scale Sup-plemental Petroleum Tax (SPT), which was the subject of revision, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) of 50%, and a 5% Unemployment Levy(UL) charged on the base for PPT. A pro-duction levy up to 3% of Gross In-come is also payable. It should be noted that revenues from natural gas are not subject to SPT. In response to the limited success of the 2006 Trinidad Deep Atlantic Bid Round, the MEEA launched several initiatives aimed to encour-age future exploration over the acre-age with the intention of a second Deep Atlantic Bid Round. These initiatives included a concurrent re-view of fiscal, contractual and tech-nical aspects of the offshore blocks, with focus on the Deep Atlantic ar-ea. The previous model used was the Taxable PSC where the contractor pays PPT of 50% and UL of 5% charged on the base for PPT, Green Fund Levy and Witholding Tax. There was no obligation to pay Roy-alty, SPT, Petroleum Production Levy or Petroleum Impost. However, there was a Share of Petroleum which was payable to the State. The minimum and maximum share was prescribed and bidders could have

increased the minimum table by a maximum factor of 2 or any factor between 1 and 2. Over the past few years, the critical review of the critical review of fiscal and legalterms and procedures was aimed at ultimately stimulating ex-ploration and development activity:

It was proposed that the PSC be based on three groupings: (1) Blocks in water depth less than 400m will be considered “shallow water”; (2) Blocks in water depth from 400 to 1000m will be considered “average water depth”; and (3) Blocks in water depth greater than 1000m will be consid-ered “deep water”. 15

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The review committee was also sensitive to current tax procedures that were either outdated or difficult to implement. With the recommended changes, taxation will no longer be dictated by ambiguous definitions such as “land” and “marine” or “pre-1988” and “post-1988”. For example, it was proposed that the SPT instead be subjected to a single-scale that con-siders the product price and volume and computed on a field-by-field ba-sis (or sublicense), irrespective of location. This would be applicable to both oil and gas, while the latter will be deductible for PPT. Tax credits are also proposed to encourage EOR schemes. In the 2nd quarter of 2012, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago invited participation in its 2012 Deep Water Competitive Bid Round for six offshore blocks (see upstream activity map on previous page) located in the East Coast Marine Area (ECMA) and Trinidad and Tobago Deep Atlantic Area (TTDAA) to be governed by PSC agreements. These blocks (which are highlighted in pink) are TTDAA1, TTDAA5, TTDAA6, TTDAA 28, TTDAA 29 and Block 25(a). This Bid Round opened April 5th 2012. The acreage offered in the mix of water depths, hydrocarbon play-types and production potential. Risk assessment in all of the blocks is facilitated by previously acquired 2D and 3D seismic data, well penetrations and the proximity of these blocks to known hydrocarbon pools and production. The deadline was initially July 30th 2012 and was extended to September 4th 2012. There were a total of 12 bids received for five (5) of the six (6) blocks, with no bids received for Block 25(a).

Overall, the changes were intended to provide better transparency and consistency in the management of the PSC. It was proposed that Car-ried Participation be exempted from deep water depths and be lim-ited to 20% in shallow and average water depths. Cost recovery for both oil and gas would be fixed based on the different water depths while profit sharing would remain a biddable item, subjected to a pre-determined matrix of price and lev-el of production. There will be an overall reduction in Windfall Profit Rate while all bonuses and finan-cial obligations will be fixed ex-cept for the Signature Bonus, which would now be used as a tie-breaker in deep water blocks. The new framework for natural gas would include a mechanism for determining the Government’s share of profit petroleum and mini-mum gas price within the PSC while the same mechanism will be used for value export gas for tax purposes. Gas marketing will not be restricted to the local market as in previous contracts and Contrac-tors can now explore options for export or joint marketing.

…… thoughts to what the future may hold for us….

Diagram showing the benefits of the new contractual terms

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Linked in Discussions “The most viable system would perhaps utilise a CNG system control unit which will "piggyback" on the car's existing elec-tronics, to fool the car's existing ECU (engine control unit) to adjust fuelling duty cycles on the engine's fuel injectors (since CNG air:fuel ratios are much leaner than on standard gasoline). We can't say how well the car will perform with its modified electronics, or even, if a warranty will be honoured afterwards by the dealer (and this will hurt public acceptance). Secondly, many more new cars on the market are be-ing equipped with direct injection gasoline engines (Euros for example, and some new Japanese offerings), or higher (dynamic) compression gasoline engines (12:0:1 or even higher). These cars will not be as well suited to CNG conversion (if at all); and this does not only apply to the "select few with BMW's" as some may think. Another point to consider: diesel vehicles will have more difficulty to switch to CNG, since the following would be involved: 1. Significant changes to the OEM ignition system (diesel engines do not use spark plugs); 2. Low-ered compression ratio ; 3.(possibly) new pistons, valves etc. ; 4. Engine strip down and rebuild (very costly!). Also, current public perception of CNG does not seem terribly positive, given the last CNG "drive" that was pushed by the GORTT many years aback. I'm sure quite a few will still recall images of huge CNG tanks taking up half of their trunk space, with long waiting lines at select gas stations. The bottom line: not everyone will be able (or willing) to convert to CNG. Perhaps, an alternative would be to place more focus on hybrid technology, or more specifically, encouraging the sale of hybrid vehicles in Trinidad. The world is moving toward hybrid drive-trains which are self contained (do not rely on the electrical grid for power). While these cars will still rely on fossil fuels to a degree, potential economic savings for owners (especially those in traffic prone areas) will be significant.”

Arvind Kalipersad

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“Proponents of change should lead by example. How many of the ministries ve-hicles are CNG-converted? CNG in first-world countries aren't seen as a viable option. Using the US as a point of refer-ence, many of their vehicles now are of-fered through a hybrid option. The vehi-cles are charged with electricity Has anyone given thought about the use of ethanol-blended fuels? i.e an E-10 mixture? Brazil and the US are leaders in the use of ethanol-blended fuels.”

Bisram Ramdath

“It all depends on the eco-nomic analysis whether or not the government earns more revenue per kilome-ter driven with CNG as compared with subsidized gasoline. This basis must be selected as opposed to gallon of fuel as engines may have different specif-ic consumptions of each fuel.”

Samuel Sinanan

“The price of Premium gasoline was hiked not to raise revenue but to get less people buying this grade of gasoline. To blend Premium gasoline requires the use of much more of the higher grades of blending components produced in the various refining processes. If you consume less high grade high octane compo-nents, then you can produce more barrels of lower octane gasoline components thus con-suming a greater volume of the lower grade of gasoline compo-nents that are produced in the refinery.( This if not consumed, will be tied up in tanks and the loss of potential profits). If you equate the prices of motor fuel with calorific value it would be a more equitable pricing method .”

Mohammed (MY) Ali

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“The decision for a consumer to switch to CNG depends on two major things. 1. Reliability and convenience of supply. 2. Savings / R O I At present, the reliability and convenience of supply is poor with only about eight CNG locations available nationwide. The economic analy-sis has to be done separately for Diesel and Gasoline vehicles since it differs drastically. It is about 3 times more costly to convert diesel ve-hicles than gasoline vehicles

Diesel converted vehicles have to burn both diesel and CNG together (Dual Fuel) whereas gasoline converted vehicles can burn either fuel separately (Bi-Fuel). While a gasoline vehicle can switch completely to CNG, a diesel vehicle would only be able to switch about 50% of its fuel consumption to CNG at best. The equivalent price for CNG is about TT$1/L. Assume that an average consumer fills his 50L tank twice per week.

For Diesel vehicles: Estimated conversion cost - TT$50,000 Estimated unsubsidized diesel price - TT$6/L The annual cost of 50% diesel and 50% CNG - TT$28,200. Estimated maintenance cost - TT$2500/year Payout Period- 4.5 years. For gasoline vehicles: Estimated conversion cost - TT$15,000 Estimated unsubsidized gasoline price - TT$6/L Estimated maintenance cost - TT$750/year Payout Period - Less than 1 year. There are clear economic benefits to converting gasoline vehicles to CNG. The economic benefit of converting diesel vehicles is not so obvious.”

Neil Bujun

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Sourced from : Eng. Farad Boochoon

“Can there be a suitable natural gas based fuel that can be used in diesel engines, with any modifications that are necessary, to replace/minimize the utilization of diesel fuel? Some might say Dimethyl Ether (DME) is the way to go.”

Sheldon Butcher

“It comes down to infrastructure to generate DME from nat. gas/biomass. I get the impression that GORTT sees CNG as a plug-and-play solution i.e. using natural gas with minimal processing as a fuel for commuters.”

Arvind Kalipersad

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How Successful do you think the initiative for more motor-ists to use CNG would be in increasing revenues for the GORTT? Is this a realistic alternative?

FACTOID

The Trinidad and Tobago

energy sector holds over 100 years of rich history, valuable experiences and inherent knowledge capacity. As engi-neers, there are abundant op-portunities to learn more about the industry that is the heart of our profession. There is uniqueness in our position of being a developing Carib-bean nation with a thriving industrialized centre that con-tinues to be successful. We hope to bring to you a series of short, interesting facts that will serve as useful reminders or spark an interest for you to want to discover more or do more in your present capaci-ties! With that, our question this quarter takes us back in time and relates to one of our most precious commodities - natural gas.

The fact that natural gas was viewed basically as waste during the early history of our energy sector is paradoxical

from today’s vantage point, though it was in keeping with industry practice at that time. Trinidad and Tobago has one of the oldest histories in terms of oil and gas development which can be traced as far back as the 1500s when “black gold” seeping from the land provided signs of our fu-ture potential to become an energy hub. Our first explora-tory oil well was drilled to 61 metres in La Brea by the Mer-rimac Company in 1857. This proved to be unsuccessful but by 1908 commercial exploita-tion of crude oil reserves was accomplished. For approxi-mately 60 years, the natural gas associated with crude oil production was treated as a by-product and flared. The tipping point of commer-cial utilization of natural gas took place in the 1950s with the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission using natural gas for power genera-tion at the Penal Power Sta-tion. In the 1970s, after major discoveries of natural gas re-serves on the East Coast of Trinidad, steps were taken towards monetization of this

natural resource with the es-tablishment of the Trinidad and Tobago Petroleum Mar-keting Company in 1972 and National Gas Company in 1975. From there the launch of major diversification from an oil-based economy to an oil and gas economy oc-curred along with the birth of the Point Lisas Industrial Es-tate. Trinidad and Tobago is now a leading natural gas producer worldwide with approximately 14 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves (1 January 2011 es-timate, CIA World Factbook). While we are a major export-er of natural gas, some is al-so used locally as a source of energy in manufacturing in-dustries such as cement and glass, as compressed natural gas (CNG) for fuel and as feedstock in petrochemical facilities producing down-stream products like ammo-nia, methanol and urea.

Eng. Ria McLeod

Did you know that natural gas was once considered a nuisance in our energy sec-tor?

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This country is also home to Atlantic LNG, a major producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) which holds the title of lowest cost LNG facility ever constructed and accounts for a significant por-tion of US imports. In November 2012, one of our leading ener-gy players, BP Trinidad and Tobago, announced an estimated 1 trillion cubic feet natural gas discovery off Trinidad's south east coast – and so our story continues. This discovery is welcoming however we still have to face a challenging future outlook given the changing marketplace with shale gas and the economics of deep water exploration. The question and timing of diversifica-tion remains valid.

“Trinidad & Tobago is now a leading natural gas producer worldwide…..”

“Our first exploratory oil well was drilled to 61 m in La Brea by the Merrimac Company in 1857.”

Source: Ministry of Energy & Energy Affairs, www.energy.gov.tt

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Natural gas was once considered a “nuisance”, can you imagine what could become a premiere alternative resource for local en-ergy industries decades from now? Send us an email with your thoughts or comments at apett.chemical@gmail.com

The intricacies and complexities of operations and

maintenance typically top the list of priorities of pro-cess plant enterprises. However, for LNG production company Atlantic, Corporate Social Responsibility – or Sustainability, as it is more frequently referred to by the company – equally commands the attention of the company’s leadership. “It’s the nature of Atlantic’s business,” explains Toni Sirju-Ramnarine, Atlantic’s Head of Sustainability and Corporate Communications. “We feel a tremendous responsibility to ensure that the natural gas that we process helps to create benefits and opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago.” This focus on value creation for the future underpins all of Atlantic’s Sustainability initiatives. The initiatives touch the lives of employees, service providers, chil-dren, the elderly, students and young professionals. Each programme is facilitated through partnerships with stakeholders or NGOs, each strategically de-signed to create enduring impact at either the commu-nity or national level. “This is the value of partnerships – this is how we help to create opportunities for present and future genera-tions,” Ms. Sirju-Ramnarine said. Long-Term Community Development The Local Economic Development (LED) Programme, a recent initiative with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is a good case in point. This partnership between Atlantic and IDB was launched in June, and will facilitate several initiatives over three years to help generate diversified economic development in six tar-geted communities: Point Fortin, La Brea, Chatham, Buenos Ayres, Cedros and Icacos. The programme will be executed by the Trade and Economic Develop-ment Unit of the University of the West Indies. Atlan-tic’s contribution of US $1.1 million will be combined with a tranche of US$775,000 from the IDB, through the bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF).

Ms. Sirju-Ramnarine described four components to the LED Programme. In the first component, private and public sector stakeholders will be trained to apply the tenets of the LED Programme to implement relevant development initiatives at the community level. The second component aims to strengthen existing micro, small and medium sized enterprises in the com-munity, and facilitate the creation of new start-ups, specifically in the non-energy sector. “We will pay spe-cial attention to entrepreneurs who make use of natu-ral resources in a sustainable way, such as tourism, fishing and agriculture,” Ms. Sirju-Ramnarine added. The third component focuses on “at-risk” young people who may be under-skilled and unable to access em-ployment opportunities. “The Programme will help to identify and create long-term opportunities for empow-ering and employing young people,” Ms. Sirju-Ramnarine said. “This is important when you think about the current global issue of youth unemploy-ment.” The fourth component entails the transfer of knowledge from the LED Programme to other regions in the country. “We are aiming for this model for the south-west peninsula to become best practice that can be applied in other communities across Trinidad and Tobago,” Ms. Sirju-Ramnarine explained. Its place among the world’s top seven LNG producers for now unchallenged in the current expansion of LNG production capacity around the world, Atlantic is as much focused on Sustainability as it is on improving facility reliability. “That’s part of the ethos of Atlantic,” Ms. Sirju-Ramnarine said.

People and the Community Billson Hainsley Media Communications Officer, Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad & Tobago

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ARTICLE REFERENCES Governance Matters

∗ American J. of Engineering and Applied Sciences 1 (4): 302-311, 2008 ISSN 1941-7020 © 2008 Sci-ence Publications. A Technical Review of Compressed Natural Gas as an Alternative Fuel for Internal Combustion Engines. Last accessed November 29 2012.

∗ Natural gas cars. A look under the hood -http://www.exxonmobilperspectives.com/2012/03/22/natural-gas-cars-a-look-under-the-hood/. Last accessed November 29 2012

∗ Natural Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago website. CNG - Compressed Natural Gas - Pro-motions and Marketing http://www.ngc.co.tt/promotions-and-marketing/compressed-natural-gas/. Last accessed November 29 2012

∗ Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago website. Trinidad and Tobago Downstream Energy Development – CNG Development http://www.energy.gov.tt/energy_industry.php?mid=121. Last accessed November 29 2012

∗ The National Petroleum of Trinidad and Tobago Website. What you should know about CNG-http://www.np.co.tt/np-article.php?c=20&sc=525&a=137. Last accessed November 29 2012

Factoid

∗ Celebrating a Century of Commercial Oil Production, 100 Years of Petroleum Production, Cen-tenary Publication

∗ Trinidad and Tobago Overview of the Government’s Policy in the Second 100 Year Period, Min-istry of Energy & Energy Affairs, IBC Energy Caribbean Conference 2008

∗ Trinidad Express Newspapers, BPTT Makes Natural Gas Find, November 19, 2012

∗ http://www.ttenergyconference.org/facts-on-the-tt-energy-sector/

∗ http://www.myenergytt/com/

∗ http://www.energy.gov.tt

∗ http://www.indexmundi.com/trinidad_and_tobago/natural_gas_proved_reserves

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