00:00The Venezuelan government is claiming an oil spill originating in Trinidad and Tobago waters
00:05has affected coastal areas in Sucre and Delta Amarcaru, as well as the Gulf of Paria.
00:12In a statement, Venezuelan authorities warned of possible damage to mangroves,
00:18wetlands, marine life and sensitive ecosystems important to food security and the environment.
00:24But Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries says
00:29the spill was detected by Heritage Petroleum Company Limited on May 1st in the main field
00:35and emergency response protocols were activated immediately.
00:39According to the ministry, trajectory modeling showed the hydrocarbon material
00:44could have crossed the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela border if left untreated.
00:49Approval was granted to use chemical dispersants which were deployed between 6 and 8 nautical miles from the border.
00:56Officials says visual inspections, drones and vessel monitoring later confirmed
01:02no visible hydrocarbons remained on the water's surface.
01:07The ministry says the source of the leak was identified and stopped on May 1st,
01:12repaired and returned to service the following day.
01:15Officials estimate the spill involved about 10 barrels of oil
01:19and say daily offshore inspections continue with no additional leaks detected.
01:24Venezuela has requested further information on the incident
01:28and says it expects mitigation and reparative measures under international environmental law.
01:34Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
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