DistantNews
Support us
Pete Phillip Never Found: Court Case Set for 2027
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago /Crime & Justice

Pete Phillip Never Found: Court Case Set for 2027

From Trinidad Express · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • A court case concerning deceased rig worker Pete Phillip, whose body was never recovered, is scheduled for March 2027.
  • The Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) initiated proceedings against four companies in June 2026.
  • The hearing date was vacated from June 2026 and rescheduled due to court schedule conflicts.

The legal proceedings surrounding the death of rig worker Pete Phillip, whose body remains missing, are set to begin in March 2027. Labour Minister Leroy Baptiste confirmed the new hearing dates, which were rescheduled from June 2026.

The Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) filed charges against Wells Services Solutions Ltd, Heritage Petroleum Company Limited, Kenson Production Services Limited, and Wells Services Petroleum Company Limited on June 17, 2026. The companies face multiple charges under the OSH Act related to the incident.

Attorneys for the companies appeared in the Industrial Court on April 21, 2026, where a timetable for evidence and arguments was established. However, the initial hearing date of June 24, 2026, was vacated. The court acknowledged the complainant's filings and granted the defendants time to adjust the timetable due to scheduling conflicts, but maintained the March 2027 hearing date.

Phillip, a 45-year-old father of six, was lost at sea on December 22, 2024, when Rig 110, operated by Well Services Petroleum Company Ltd, partially collapsed during drilling in the Gulf of Paria. Despite immediate rescue and recovery efforts, his body was never found. The company cited health and safety risks as impediments to a successful recovery, though salvage and recovery operations were stated to have begun in November 2025.

The hearing regarding deceased rig worker Pete Phillip, whose body was never found, will be held in March 2027.

— Leroy BaptisteThe Labour Minister confirmed the new court dates for the case.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Trinidad Express in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog