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Map Courtesy: The Energy Chamber of T&T block. The no-bid Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for ated more than once “Should Venezuela invade Guyana, the ultra-deepwater exploration block was signed between Trinidad and Tobago would defnitely step forward to de-

The Honorable Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, fend of our cousins, brothers and sisters in CARICOM.”

S.C., M.P., and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) Vice Presi- Trinidad and Tobago and the Republic of Guyana be- dent of Global Exploration John Ardill at the Diplomatic ing founding member states of the Caribbean Community

Center in Port of Spain, on August 12, 2025. (CARICOM), an intergovernmental organization that

During a follow-up meeting, ExxonMobil Trinidad and serves as a political and economic union of ffteen (15)

Tobago operations manager Dr. Bram Willemsen said the member states and fve associated members throughout block’s operations for the next six (6) months remain on the Americas, the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. Head- track, including permit applications, and geological and quartered in Georgetown, Guyana, CARICOM plays a geophysical work required for conducting the 3D seismic central role in regional integration and cooperation. It is survey in 2026. Once surveys look favorable the venture also noteworthy to mention that the U.S. Virgin Islands, would utilize advancements in offshore deepwater drilling located in the central Caribbean region have initiated steps technology, including innovations in drill ships and high- for eventual associate membership in March 2024.

pressure, high temperature systems, making the 2,000 to 3,000 meters ultra deep-water acreage viable.

SUPPLYING BUT NOT BELONGING:

The recent internal corporate restructuring of the At-

VENEZUELA’S CARIBBEAN ENERGY ROLE lantic LNG plant, located on Trinidad’s South-western From the long ongoing territorial dispute and Guyana’s peninsula now allows for additional natural gas through- Independence in 1966, it is not diffcult to understand put by non-shareholding entities thereby setting the stage why the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was never ac- from ExxonMobil to possibly become major a gas supplier cepted to be a CARICOM member, despite its 1,700 miles for the three (3) operational LNG trains at Point Fortin, of coastline along the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. alongside BP PLC (NYSE: BP), and Shell PLC (NYSE: Venezuela through its Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PD-

SHEL) who are currently the largest shareholders. VSA) has long supplied petroleum products to smaller Ca- ribbean island-states like St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica through its PETROCARIBE agreement, es-

CARICOM

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has also reiter- tablished in June 2005.

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