Above: the blocks in question (Source: Trinidad Ministry of Energy)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Grenada’s government is denying reports of a conflict with Trinidad and Tobago over oil blocks.
The government said it noted an article in the Trinidad Express alleging the conflict “with alarm,” saying the government “was not aware of any potential conflict between the two countries” regarding oil blocks TTDAA 28 and TTDAA 29.
“We have since been in communication with Kevin Ramnarine, Minister for Energy of Trinidad and Tobago and have reviewed the press release from the Ministry of Energy of Trinidad and Tobago in response to the article,” the government said in its own statement.
According to a release from Trinidad’s Ministry of Energy, the two blocks “do not encroach on any maritime space related to Grenada,” and both lie within Trinidad’s maritime jurisdiction.
In fact, the release said, the two blocks are either close to or adjoin Trinidad’s boundary with Barbados, which was determined by the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on April 11, 2006.
The article in the Express reported that the “spoils of exploration” for the blocks, which were put up for bid last week, were “threatening a conflict” between the two countries.
At the time, Ramnarine told the Express the blocks “do lie on the border of Grenada.”