On July 6, 2018, the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian reported an oil and gas well rupture in the Gulf of Paria:

Fishermen are bracing for losses after an abandoned oil well ruptured in the Gulf of Paria, shooting emissions of oil and gas 40 feet up from the seabed.

Up to late Friday, a high-level team was desperately trying to stop the high pressures of oil and gas from shooting up about 4.5 miles off Orange Valley, Carapichaima.

The oil spill posed a hazard to marine operators and by late evening, fishermen were unable to fish in that vicinity.

The oil spill was reported late Thursday and is believed to have been triggered by recent seismic activity.

A source at Petrotrin said once the spill was reported, Petrotrin activated its Command Centre requesting assistance from divers from Trinmar’s Marine department.

“It is a tough situation. Petrotrin personnel is having difficulties in containing the emissions.

Preliminary reports reveal that the well had been capped on the seabed and had been abandoned for some time,” the source added.

It is believed that the recent earthquake caused the head of the well to pop causing the emissions to spew up from the surface of the seabed, about 40 feet below.

“We are trying to assess which company was last in charge of that well before the Ministry of Energy took it over. Petrotrin cannot contain the emissions and deep sea divers are at this time attempting to stop the high pressures of oil and gas spewing from below the sea,” the official added.

Petrotrin is not the owner of the well and sources said officials were now seeking foreign assistance to contain the spill.

In an interview, vice president of the T&T FisherFolk Association Kishore Boodram said he was very concerned about the spill.

“We are in the height of an active fishing season and for this to happen now would mean devastation to fishermen. The Gulf is already polluted and we are concerned that if this spill is not contained soon, many fishermen will be affected,” Boodram said.

As of July 9, the well was still spewing oil and gas at high pressure, as there is not the technical capacity in Trinidad and Tobago to cap it off.

Fishermen and Friends of the Sea Trinidad and Tobago (FFOSTT) has been providing eyewitness accounts, including video footage, of the ongoing spill situation.

What makes this a matter of even greater concern is that this is at least the third reported spill in the Gulf of Paria in approximately the past four months, following incidents in March and May.

[Image: via Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS)]