Pipeline Projects

Major Network Expansion

A capital outlay of close to US $400 million was invested by NGC in two major infrastructure projects – the Cross Island Pipeline (CIP) and the Beachfield Upstream Development (BUD). The result is a significant increase in NGC’s offshore gas transmission deliverability from 1.4 Bcf/d to 2.4 Bcf/d and the onshore capability to deliver gas to the ALNG Train 4 project and other planned projects for southwest Trinidad.

Successfully completed is the 56- inch-diameter, 76.5-kilometre CIP in 2005. This is the largest diame- ter gas pipeline to be constructed in the Western Hemisphere with a capacity to deliver approximately 2.4 Bcf/d. The line was constructed parallel to the existing southern pipeline Right of Way (ROW) that runs from the southeast coast at Beachfield to Point Fortin on the southwest coast. The first gas flowed into the pipeline on November 25th 2005 heralding the successful commissioning and tremendous effort of NGC, its contractors and suppliers to design, procure, construct, commission and deliver the project on schedule and within budget. This pipeline now supplies natural gas to LNG trains and industrial estates at Union and La Brea in southwest Trinidad.

Another project, the BUD project, was commissioned in late 2006, with the completion of a 36-inch diameter, 62.9 kilometre offshore pipeline from bpTT’s Cassia B’ Platform to Rustville (Guayaguayare) on Trinidad’s southeast coast that flows into a new inlet receiving facility at Beachfield.

The Point Lisas Industrial Estate – A Model Of Development

Due to the rapid growth on the petrochemical and metals sectors at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, NGC expanded its downstream distribution network in the last 5 years. A new 36-inch diameter, 8-kilometre, Class 300 pipeline was constructed parallel to the 24/30-inch ROW into Point Lisas. The estate is now the home of 28 heavy industrial consumers of natural gas, and the home of the natural gas industry of Trinidad & Tobago.This estate includes a steel mill, a large number of methanol, ammonia, and one urea plant. It is also the site of two power generation plants, and a large water desalination facility. Port Point Lisas is the second largest port in the country, serving the petrochemical and metals sectors via the four savonetta piers and ISCOTT dock respectively.

Supplying New Industrial Estates

As NGC’s subsidiary, National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NEC) makes good on its mandate to develop and operate world class industrial estates and port and marine infrastructure, gas supply to these sites will make way for further network expansion. At present, two sites at Union and La Brea are being developed and offered as prospective sites for investors wishing to relocate their gas based operations in Trinidad & Tobago.

Much of the 750-acre Union Industrial Estate at La Brea has been designated mainly for UAN and other manufacturing concerns. Gas supply to the site is via a 30-inch diameter, 3-kilometre spur line off the CIP pipeline. An inlet receiving station, an NGLs extraction plant and a 24-inch residue gas distribution pipeline are located at Union.