Preliminary work has begun on the Dragon Gas Project.

On Friday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Energy Minister Stuart Young visited the Dona Jose 2 vessel at Tembladora Port, Chaguaramas.

Accompanying them were representatives from Shell and the National Gas Company.

The Dona Jose 2 vessel will undertake a geophysical and geotechnical survey from the Dragon Field to the Shell operated Hibiscus Platform, to acquire data with the vessel’s side scan sonar, multibeam echo sounder and other survey technology onboard.

The Energy Ministry says this first phase is small but critical, as it represents the first physical work to be done by Shell on the Dragon Field.

It adds that the subsea surveys will allow Shell to collect technical data to assess the status of existing infrastructure and technical data to support the design of new facilities to be installed, as well as the design and routing for the installation of a 22km pipeline from the Dragon subsea field to the Hibiscus platform, pending Final Investment Decision.

The Dragon Gas Project is projected to export gas from the Dragon Field in Venezuela to Shell’s Hibiscus platform off T&T’s North Coast.

The Ministry says, “The commencement of the geotechnical surveys to be undertaken by the Dona Jose 2 comes at an accelerated speed of only ten months after Trinidad and Tobago received a 30-year licence to explore, produce and export gas from the Venezuelan Dragon Field to Trinidad and Tobago. This project has resulted in an unprecedented degree of collaboration among the National Gas Company, Shell, several local and international service companies and agencies representing Trinidad and Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela respectively.”