ChevronTexaco and partner BG will be delivering 80 MMcf/d of gas from Trinidad to Southern LNG’s Elba Island re-gasification terminal in Georgia beginning in 2005 and continuing through 2023. The producers received approval from the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries for development of Dolphin Deep and Starfish fields offshore Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The fields will supply a long term liquefied natural gas (LNG) contract with El Paso Merchant Energy to import LNG into the U.S. market.

The natural gas produced from the recently discovered fields will be processed at the Atlantic LNG third-train facility. Earlier this week, Spain’s Spanish energy company Repsol-YPF completed construction of a second 4.4 billion cubic meter (Bcm) unit at the LNG plant, bringing total LNG capacity to 8.4 billion cubic meters/year (297 Bcf/year). Repsol is shipping some of its portion of existing LNG to CMS’s LNG terminal in Lake Charles, LA. The third liquefaction train is currently under construction, and will start production early next year, bringing total capacity to 12.8 Bcm/year. The Atlantic LNG consortium is considering the addition of a fourth unit, which would have a capacity of 7 Bcm.

The Atlantic LNG plant at Trinidad began production in April 1999. A total of 11.9 Bcf of gas was imported from Trinidad by U.S. companies in the first quarter of 2002, compared to 9.3 Bcf in 1Q2001, according to the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy.

ChevronTexaco currently produces 250 MMcf/d of gas offshore Trinidad from the Dolphin field, and sells the production to the Trinidad National Gas Co. for domestic use. The Dolphin field, which started producing in 1996, is also a 50/50 joint venture with BG.

ChevronTexaco said its links with Trinidad date back to 1913. In 1951, the company acquired the Antilles Co. and consolidated its interests under Texaco Trinidad Inc.

Ali Moshiri, director of ChevronTexaco Upstream Latin America, said this latest business development shows the company intends to continue its investment in Trinidad and Tobago.

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