Trinidad and Tabago enlists Maire for refinery restart study

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has launched a study to evaluate the potential restart of state-owned Guaracara Refining Co. Ltd.’s (Guaracara) Pointe-a-Pierre refinery—the island nation’s only—which ceased processing activities in late 2018 amid the government’s restructuring of former operator Petroleum Co. of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd. (Petrotrin)

As part of a contract award announced on Mar. 25, Maire SPA subsidiary Tecnimont SPA will conduct a rehabilitation study for the upgrading of the currently idled Guaracara refinery complex, Maire said.

Tecnimont’s scope of work under the $50-million includes execution of a comprehensive technical and integrity assessment of the Guaracara complex’s existing units and equipment for development of a rehabilitation study that could lead to restart of the 150,000-b/d refinery, according to Maire.

Alongside identifying areas of the refinery requiring necessary upgrading or refurbishment, the assessment will also evaluate:

• The adequacy of existing technologies against the manufacturing site’s long-term operational and performance objectives.
• The complex’s energy efficiency and environmental performance.
• Preliminary CAPEX and OPEX estimates to support the possible refurbishment and restart project.

Tecnimont’s scope additionally covers engineering of advanced water intake and cooling systems, “all to be designed in accordance with the most stringent international standards,” the parent company said.

To be completed in two phases, Maire said it anticipates Tecnimont’s work on the study to be completed by early 2027, after which the service provider expects to receive subsequent contracts upon project approval for front-end engineering and design (FEED), engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), and ongoing operations and maintenance services associated with the complex’s full rehabilitation.

Alessandro Bernini, chief executive officer of MAIRE, commented: “This project further strengthens our geographic diversification expanding our presence in Central America, and confirms the strategic relevance of upgrading initiatives.

Emphasizing the company’s engineering expertise and technological know-how to support transformation of existing assets into more efficient and environmentally advanced operations, Alessandro Bernini—Maire’s chief executive officer—said upgrading and restart of the Guaracara complex would “generate tangible benefits for [Trinidad and Tabago’s] local economy, contributing to value creation, industrial development, and skill enhancement.”

The government has yet to reveal a precise timeframe for either a final investment decision or proposed restart of the refinery should the project be approved.

While Guaracara previously operated the now-mothballed site, a definitive operator of the refinery upon its possible recommissioning has yet to be officially named.

Idled operations

This latest contract award for Guaracara’s potential revamp follows a Mar. 13 confirmation from Ernesto Kesar—head of Trinidad and Tabago’s Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries—that the government was actively advancing efforts to restart operations at the refinery, which included ongoing discussions with “interested” but yet-to-be-identified stakeholders and investors.

With an original nameplate crude oil capacity of about 165,000-b/d, the Guaracara complex officially ceased processing operations permanently in 2018 amid a lack of domestically produced crude oil to serve as feedstock for the manufacturing site, as well as the government’s desire better position it for long-term sustainable profitability.

The government launched its initial search for potential partners to help revive the refinery beginning in 2021.