Guyana Eyes Refining Crude in T&T

  • President Irfaan Ali has confirmed that his administration intends to engage the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) directly on a potential collaboration that would see Guyana’s crude oil refined in the twin-island state. The prospect of Guyanese crude being refined in Trinidad and Tobago has emerged as a key element of an energy strategy outlined by Ali during a recent visit.
  • Discussions around Guyana supplying crude to support the restart of Trinidad’s idle refining capacity have gained traction in recent months. The country’s Energy Minister, Dr Roodal Moonilal, indicated that while attending a conference in Guyana back in February, he pointed out that the country could play a key part in the restart of the refinery.
  • The minister had disclosed that the facility can process about 150,000 barrels of oil daily but will require petroleum from regional partners. At the same event, Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, disclosed that the two CARICOM states are already in discussion to look at the possibility of having that refinery restart.
  • Speaking to the Sunday Business Guardian, Ali framed this integration as a non-negotiable response to a shifting global market. He argued that the era of hesitation must end, as the economic cost of delay grows increasingly steep, calling for a disciplined, private-sector-led integration of cross-border gas and refinery assets.
  • Central to this blueprint is the potential reactivation of T&T’s idle refining capacity to process Guyanese crude. Ali confirmed he is prepared to engage the T&T Government directly to discuss a strategy that would see Guyanese light sweet crude flow into Trinidadian refineries, effectively turning a legacy industrial burden into a regional asset.
  • Overall, Guyana’s oil-driven surge continues to lift the subregional average in 2026. T&T also benefits intermittently from gas-related activity, but with a more mature production profile and without the scale of expansion seen in Guyana. T&T’s economy is expected to see real GDP growth of 0.7% in 2026, but the World Bank suggests this will rise in 2027, with real GDP growth of 3.2%, on the back of energy growth prospects. Guyana is also expected to continue to see rapid growth of 16.3% and 23.5% in 2026 and 2027.

(Source: Kaieteur News, Guardian T&T)