The full day visit began with a tour of Shell’s Westhollow Technology Center in Houston.

In the afternoon the Prime Minister met with Maarten Wetselaar, Shell’s Director for Integrated Gas and New Energies, De La Rey Venter, Executive Vice President Integrated Gas and Derek Hudson, Vice President, Trinidad and Tobago.

During the meeting the Prime Minister received a presentation on Shell’s Strategic Vision for their business in Trinidad and Tobago and secured a commitment from the company to invest billions over the next four years.

Shell also updated the Government on the status of a number of initiatives which are at various stages of the developmental and project life cycle as they reaffirm the company as a major player in the local energy industry.

It was noted that Shell and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago are aligned on plans for bringing cross-border gas from Venezuela into the Trinidad and Tobago market to meet strong demand in the petrochemical sector.

The Prime Minister expressed his confidence in the energy company’s ability to successfully execute its expansion.

He requested that the company place greater emphasis on hiring and training local qualified personnel to increase the employment of Trinidad and Tobago nationals throughout the company as it is important to strike the right balance between local and expatriate employment.

Moreover, Prime Minister Rowley assured Shell that his Government will do what is necessary within the laws of Trinidad and Tobago to provide accelerated approvals for its work program and that he in turn expected they would deliver in the shortest time possible.

One of the programs which was the subject of detailed discussions and agreement was the Starfish project which is to be the subject of new developmental objectives commencing in the next quarter of 2017.

Shell has a long history of operation in Trinidad and Tobago. In 2016, the company re-entered the local market with its acquisition of the BG Group.

This signifies the company’s confidence in the opportunities available in our energy industry.

Shell is excited to play a leading role in unlocking Trinidad and Tobago’s future oil and gas potential and building a stronger competitive position in the country.

The Prime Minister will meet with EOG Resources and Exxon Mobil in separate meetings today (March 31 2017).