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Petrotrin, Trinidad & Tobago's state-owned oil company, has set in motion a plan to purchase a new barge to restart its bunkering services at Pointe-a-Pierre.

In a statement, the company said the new double-hulled delivery vessel was designed to 'improve the reliability of Petrotrin's bunker operations'.

Petrotrin's chairman, Andrew Jupiter [pictured], and the board of directors, together with president Fitzroy Harewood, visited Petrotrin's port and marine facilities in Pointe-a-Pierre on Wednesday, 22nd June.

Petrotrin's port and marine department is a key part of Petrotrin's operations and consists of two sections:

- Port operations - which is responsible for tanker turnaround and maintenance of the fixed infrastructure and;

- Marine services - which is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all floating crafts such as tugs and launches.

Jupiter remarked: "Every barrel of oil that has been refined for export at Pointe-a-Pierre refinery has found its way through the port and marine operations [sections of Petrotrin]."

He added that in 2016 approximately 81.0 million barrels of oil will pass through the port, consisting of about 34.5 million barrels of crude import and 46.5 million barrels of product exports.

Safety

Stressing the importance of the port to the company's operations and the national economy, Jupiter expressed the board's commitment to undertake improvements in infrastructure in order to ensure that Petrotrin provides a safe operation both for its employees as well as the wider community.

Petrotrin added that Jupiter also "urged employees to continue to operate safely and with a strategic intent for the benefit of the national economy".

The chairman's remarks come exactly 12 months since three employees attached to Petrotrin's port and marine operations divisions were relieved of their duties. Another 37 were also issued suspensions and warning letters arising out of the employees' apparent refusal to berth vessels transporting crude oil originating from offshore Gabon - fearing the threat of the Ebola virus - between October and November 2014 at Pointe-a-Pierre.

Speaking at the time, Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president general, Ancel Roget, said the workers were fired because they opposed the idea of Petrotrin privatising its bunkering operations.