Trinidad and Tobago denies evidence of large hydrocarbon quantities at sea

Trinidad and Tobago's state-owned oil company, Heritage Petroleum, asserted on Saturday that "there is no evidence to support the presence of large quantities of hydrocarbons in the sea." This statement comes after Venezuela reported a suspected oil spill, claiming satellite images confirmed a significant leak.

Heritage Petroleum initiated a joint investigation with several agencies after receiving a report about a potential sighting of hydrocarbons in Trinidad and Tobago's waters. According to the company, exhaustive inspections by local authorities have revealed no indications of pollution or anomalies at its facilities. The company has maintained direct contact with the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, which deployed specialized maritime surveillance to inspect the Gulf of Paria and surrounding territorial waters.

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Currently, there is no evidence to support the presence of large quantities of hydrocarbons in the sea. We continue to investigate and await further information from the deployed aerial, maritime, and terrestrial surveillance.

"Currently, there is no evidence to support the presence of large quantities of hydrocarbons in the sea. We continue to investigate and await further information from the deployed aerial, maritime, and terrestrial surveillance," the company's statement read. This contradicts Venezuela's claim that the spill magnitude surpasses the one in May and poses risks to marine ecosystems, fishing, and coastal communities.

Caracas had urged the Trinidadian government to "fully assume its responsibility" and take immediate measures to prevent further incidents, ensuring transparency regarding the spill's causes, scope, and consequences. Trinidad's Minister of Energy, Roodal Moonilal, confirmed that his ministry, along with Heritage Petroleum and the Coast Guard, had launched an investigation into the substance observed off the country's southwest coast.

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fully assume its responsibility