Atlantic LNG’s Point Fortin liquefaction facility has started receiving much-needed natural gas supplies from Shell’s Colibri project offshore Trinidad and Tobago.
Shell announced on Thursday that gas production has started on Block 22 and NCMA-4 in the North Coast Marine Area (NCMA).
The start-up of Colibri follows the amendment to the Block 6 production sharing contract for the Manatee field.
Shell said this would allow for the delivery of gas both domestically and internationally through Atlantic LNG.
Project Colibri is a backfill project that would add about 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (174 mmscf/d) of sustained near-term gas production.
Also, Shell expects peak production expected to reach about 43,000 boe/d (250 mmscf/d) through a series of four subsea gas wells, tied back to the existing Poinsettia platform located in the NCMA acreage.
The Shell-operated Colibri development is co-owned with the Trinidad and Tobago national oil company Heritage Petroleum which has a working interest of 10 percent and 20 percent respectively in Block 22 and NCMA-4.
Colibri, when combined with Barracuda and existing developments, will deliver more gas to the Trinidad and Tobago domestic market and the LNG export markets.
Atlantic LNG supplies
Shell is a major shareholder in Atlantic LNG. The company’s equity in the Point Fortin plant ranges from 46 percent to 57.5 percent in each of the four trains at the facility.
The Point Fortin facility has a total capacity of about 15 million tonnes per annum of LNG but the plant has been experiencing supply issues due to dwindling domestic gas reserves.
Shell and BP have the biggest stakes in Atlantic LNG trains, followed by NGC and Chinese Investment Corporation (CIC).
Trinidad’s government and partners in the facility have been in talks to find solutions to ensure the future supply to the facility, most notably for the first train, and to simplify the shareholding structure.
In that regard, Trinidad’s energy ministry signed a deal in January with Shell, BP, and NGC following months of discussions as the parties work towards a restructuring of Atlantic LNG.
The ministry said that the parties plan to sign the definitive restructuring deals by the end of June.