Oil stains beaches in Trinidad. Source unknown

Oil cleanup operations were underway late last week in Trinidad & Tobago after crude oil from an unknown source washed ashore.

Oil pockets reportedly plagued Fullerton Beach, Mosquito Creek and beaches in La Brea, Vessigny, Clifton Hill/ Guapo and Cedros in the Gulf of Paria west of the island of Trinidad.

National oil company Petrotrin, in its statements on Thursday and Friday, said it was working on identifying the source, adding that cleanup efforts were underway at those locations where sightings of oil patches and stains were confirmed.

The company was conducting helicopter flyovers of the south-western shoreline and the Gulf of Paria, however, according to the company’s statement no discernible sources of oil or leaks were observed.

“The Company has established Incident Command Teams and we are conducting a thorough examination of our facilities, particularly offshore and our submarine infrastructure to determine if our installations are in any way connected to the oil sightings. All available resources have been mobilized to manage the situation. We continue to work together with our regulatory agencies in the response,” the company said last week.

Offshore Energy Today has reached out to Petrotrin, seeking an update on the oil spill situation. We will update the article if we get a response.

The spill is reportedly already affecting fishermen and oyster vendors doing business in the area. According to Trinidad Express, a local oyster vendor said the oysters were covered in oil has called “whoever is responsible, to compensate us.”

Offshore Energy Today Staff