(Trinidad Guardian) Predictions of sabotage of T&T’s oil assets are materialising after Heritage Petroleum reported that a crude oil line had been hacksawed on Friday by alleged saboteurs.
In a statement, Heritage Petroleum Company Limited said it was now working with the police to find the parties responsible for an act of sabotage on one of its pipelines at CR64 Production Header in Cruze Field, Point Fortin.
The cut line was discovered at 3pm on Friday and came a day after a sub-sea leak developed at Soldado North fields in the Gulf of Paria. While the sub-sea oil leak has not been identified as sabotage, Heritage Petroleum said the damage to the pipeline at Cruze Field, Point Fortin seemed to be an act of sabotage.
The three-inch bulk pipeline was visibly hacksawed in several places and stolen, resulting in the spillage of approximately 50 barrels of oil. Booms were deployed to contain the spilled oil. “Recovery and clean-up efforts are ongoing,” Heritage Petroleum said.
All regulatory agencies, including the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs; the Environmental Management Authority (EMA); and the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) have been notified.
“Heritage Petroleum…is committed to ensure that all our assets and people were operating safely and within the law,” the company said.
Last month, terminated Petrotrin workers said they were concerned that offshore assets of Trinmar could be vulnerable to saboteurs since the closure of Petrotrin on December 1.
A source said while Amalgamated Security has been hired to protect oil assets on land, there was no protection on the high seas.
“Heritage Petroleum cannot rely on the Coast Guard to protect its assets. Proper security arrangements must be put in place,” the source said.
However, the T&T Guardian contacted a company spokesperson from Heritage Petroleum to inquire what security arrangements were in place on land and on sea to protect oil assets.
The company spokesman denied that there were no security arrangements in place saying: “Security has been heightened and beefed up since the start of operations on December 1.”
Efforts to contact president general of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union Ancel Roget were unsuccessful as calls to his cellular phone went unanswered.