00:00We are cognizant of the importance of the project. We are working with the stakeholders and the Venezuelan authorities to
00:06ensure that this project reaches to FID, final investment decision, and we will move towards first gas by the fourth
00:14quarter of 2027, early 2028.
00:16The update from Energy Minister Dr. Rudal Munilal in the House of Representatives on the project for the supply of
00:22natural gas from Venezuela's Dragon Field to Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Munilal was responding to earlier comments during the 2026
00:29-2027 budget debate made by Opposition MP and former Energy Minister Stuart Young, who spoke about the work carried out
00:38by the 2015-2025 PNM administration.
00:43In this same review of the economy, they're referring to Dragon and that Shell is working to bring it here.
00:51It is because of that 30-year license. Shell could not have gotten in the door without us and the
00:58work that was being done. And we are not doing anything to scuttle any of that because all of that
01:06would be for the benefit of Trinidad and Tobago.
01:08The Energy Minister referred to more recent events regarding the relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela since the UNC
01:16and its coalition of interests won the 2025 general election.
01:20Mr. Speaker, this is a speaker in the Trinidad Express front page. This is a picture of two very young
01:26-looking ladies. Who is that?
01:29The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mrs. Kamala Passat-Bissessa, and acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, embraced following their
01:36meeting in the UN in New York.
01:39And the headline was, Delcy, she says, I love you, Kamala. Take that. Take that. Take that. And there was
01:49no Congo line. There was no Congo line. There was none. Take that.
01:56I think that Hutton. 40 trip. 40 trip. And we never hear, I love you, sturdy.
02:04MP Young earlier defended the trips he took to Venezuela when he served as the Energy Minister.
02:09After the member for Fisabad comes and says, all the eggs in dragon basket. So what? Coquina mannequin is that
02:15different spelling to dragon?
02:17The only way Coquina mannequin became a reality and is going to become a reality is because of those excursions.
02:26The receipts are there. A 20-year exploration and production and exportation of gas license was signed by this administration
02:37in 2024 for Coquina mannequin.
02:42Never been done before. Dragon was in December 2023.
02:47A 30-year license.
02:49Speaking after MP Young during the budget debate, Energy Minister Munila referred to another document regarding what he called metering
02:57for the dragon gas project.
02:59I have in my hand here a cabinet note dated January 16, 2024.
03:05Agreement between Shell, the NGC, and Governor Trion Tobago, Government of Venezuela, in respect of dragon field.
03:11The cabinet received a document in Spanish. It's signed by Venezuelan minister, I believe, Mr. Ruz or something like that.
03:19But Trinidad and Tobago is signed by Stuart Richard Young.
03:23What? In Spanish?
03:24In Spanish.
03:25No, you went to the cabinet to tell the cabinet to approve the report in Spanish.
03:30The entire cabinet says, see.
03:33Dr. Munilal said it was a critical technical matter involving hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars as he told
03:40the lower house the government has to find a professional organization to translate the document into English.
03:47Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
